Sefiro High
by Heart
Summary: Alternate universe fic where the MKR casts studies/works at the same High School. Budding romances between characters H/L/E, F/F, U/A/C and others. Last chappie is up! *FINISHED*
1. Sefiro High Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: I don't own MKR, CLAMP does. Am just one crazy fan. And all of these stuff I had written or will write is a product of my imagination and my imagination only....Yada...yada...Don't sue me. AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is an alternate universe fanfic of Magic Knight Rayearth, where the MKR casts studies/works in the same school and lives in Tokyo.  
  
Hikaru Shidou woke up early as usual. It had been a custom for her to wake up before the sun rises and have her early-morning training since she lives in a kendo dojo.  
  
"Ohayo!" Satoru, one of her brothers, greeted her. He had just finished his morning exercises himself and is getting ready to help their mother for today's breakfast. "And how is my cute little sister today?" He started laughing after seeing his sister's cheeks turned red. "Aww, you're blushing! Okay, I won't tease you anymore. Don't get yourself tired too much. Remember, it's the first day of school."  
  
Hikaru gave him a quick nod and then hurried to the main dojo. It wasn't even a minute had passed since she set her foot on the mat that her two brothers came rushing at her to give her tight hugs. "Ohayo, Hikaru- chan. Have you slept well?" Masaru asked.  
  
"O-ha-yo," she greeted back, in a voice that is more of a squeak, considering how tightly both of her brothers had been embracing her.  
  
"Look, brother, have you noticed she had gotten a little bit taller today?" Kakeru said.  
  
"Waaaahhhh!!! Not about my height!!!" Hikaru complained. Standing a little bit more than four feet and a half at the age of 16, who would not?  
  
"I am not teasing, sis! You have gotten a little bit taller!"  
  
"Enough of that! Wanna spar with me sis?" Masaru challenged her, grinning. "I promise I won't go easy on you this time."  
  
"You also told her that the last time..." Kakeru grumbled. His mind suddenly caught the scene of when Hikaru accidentally hit Masaru's face with a bamboo sword during one sparring session. It was not because she was clumsy, but because Masaru was.  
  
He watched in awe as his sister beat a man as twice as big as her in a fight. Even Satoru, who is the best among them, lost to her once already. With one look at her, it might not be obvious; after all, she doesn't look like a martial artist. Well, there was even many times in her junior high school days that people actually thought of her as a six-grader. "Oi, you two. Break it up. We're going to have breakfast soon and we all have to get ready for school before that. It's the first day of school, after all. And it's our baby-girl's first day in high school."  
  
"One more round..." Masaru said.  
  
"No use. You're loosing anyway," Kakeru said, winking at Hikaru.  
  
* * *  
  
"Ne, onii-chan..." Hikaru said. "Yes, Hikaru-chan?" Kakeru said. He had decided to walk with her sister to school since he figured she would be a little bit nervous. It had been natural for them to be protective of their sister. This is maybe because she is the only girl amongst the siblings, and the youngest among them at that.  
  
"You think I can join the kendo club?"  
  
"Sure you can. Why not? I bet you are much better than those creeps in there now," Kakeru told her, grinning. His brothers before him had joined the club and he also was invited to join many times before. He had turned them down saying that he needed time away from kendo. "I heard they have a lot of good members lately..."  
  
They entered the assembly hall a little bit early. But opposite of what was expected, the hall is already almost full of students. "Zugoi!!!!" Hikaru exclaimed. "This hall is very big onii-chan."  
  
"Yes, I guess it is...Look, the opening assembly is about to start, why don't you go to your place and make some new friends? They did tell you where you should go right?"  
  
"Yes, onii-chan! Ja ne!" Hikaru said, waving at her brother.  
  
* * *  
  
Fuu Huouji couldn't help noticing the very preppy girl walking towards her direction. 'At first glance, she can be taken for an 8th grader. She looks really nice though.' The smile the girl gave her caught her by surprise, but it made her feel less nervous.  
  
The girl came directly towards her smiling and said, "Hello, I'm Hikaru Shidou. I think we are going to be at the same class."  
  
"I am very please to meet you Miss Shidou. I am Fuu Huouji."  
  
"No, don't call me that..." Hikaru said giggling. "You can call me by my name, and it's Hikaru."  
  
"All right, Hikaru-san. You can also call me Fuu."  
  
"Oh!!!!! You're Fuu Huouji!!! You're the one who topped the entrance exams!!! Oh my, I must say, you are a very smart girl."  
  
Fuu felt herself blush. Despite of her academic accomplishments, she is still shy to be in a presence of a situation where people actually praise or acknowledge her for it. "Yes, I am...But please do not be too loud about it."  
  
"Eh? Why not? Hmm...well...okay, if you say so, Fuu," Hikaru said, smiling. "I am really proud to have a friend like you."  
  
Fuu smiled back. The girl had considered her as a friend already... 'How very trusting of her.' Not that she minded though. Actually, she feels at ease with Hikaru. She had not expected to make friends that soon, but she is glad that she had. "Wow! Look at her, she's really pretty!" she heard Hikaru exclaim. "Ne, don't you agree?" Fuu's eyes followed Hikaru's gaze and saw a girl with very straight, long blue hair walking. All other students seemed to share their attention towards the girl too. The blue-haired girl seemed to notice people staring at her that she took a seat in a less crowded side of their territory. "Maybe she doesn't like the attention too much..."  
  
"I think that it would be too dull for her if she stays there without anybody to talk to...I have an idea!" Hikaru said as she took Fuu's hand.  
  
* * *  
  
Umi Ryuuzaki is not pleased with the attention she is getting, knowing it is only skin-deep. She's sick of being too beautiful that people don't notice her inner self anymore. She sighed...  
  
"Hello!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
Okay, now scaring her out of her wits is not her idea for a greeting. And this girl standing very close in front of her with a big smile on her face is pretty spooky. "No way I will join some cheerleading squad! Nor will I take your boyfriend away from you... Or even sign an autograph for your brother. Now that I answered you're pending questions you can now leave me in peace. And, yes, this is my natural hair color!!!" Umi told her.  
  
"Huh?" Hikaru said. "You're funny!!!" Hikaru said giggling. "I am Hikaru Shidou and this is my new friend Fuu Huouji."  
  
Another girl beside the one wearing the pigtails bowed and then said, "I am sorry if Hikaru-san scared you. Or if we had disturbed your chosen solitude..."  
  
"...But you see, I figured it would be very boring for you if you have nobody to talk to so I asked Fuu-chan to come here with me," Hikaru explained.  
  
"You wanted to cheer me up?" Umi asked, very surprised.  
  
"Yes...something like that," Hikaru answered.  
  
"I am very sorry if I shouted at you. It is just that I don't like the attention I am getting much. People are either too shy to approach me or just interested of asking questions. Some girls pick up fights with me because they're boyfriends are staring at me."  
  
"Hmm, not nice to treat you that way. You are just as normal as we are anyway. It's not your fault to be pretty. And I really think you are pretty. Actually I did notice that at first, but then after that I just thought you look like a really nice person so I came."  
  
"By the way I am Umi Ryuuzaki. You can call me Umi."  
  
"Nice to meet you Umi-chan. Let's be friends from now on ok?" Umi heard Hikaru say. 'Maybe my high school years won't be as bad as I thought it would be,' Umi told herself. * * *  
  
Lantis had been resting quite peacefully on the top of a tree until he felt someone was throwing stones at him. He looked down with a frown, and a death-glare. He eased up when he saw that it was Eagle, his best friend since childhood. "Stop that," he said in a deep, warning tone.  
  
"I will when u stop idling about and get down from there. We'll be late for our class. You already missed the opening assembly. Good thing Lafarga- sensei bought it when I told him that you just went to the men's room when he noticed you weren't there."  
  
"Thanks, I'll be there in a minute. Just keep your eyes out for Primera. I don't think I can put up with her following me and such now."  
  
"Yooooooooooohoooooooooooooo!!!! Lantis-sempai!!!!!!!" both of them heard it coming from a girl's voice not so far away.  
  
"I think you'd better stay there for a while, she's coming this way..." Eagle warned him.  
  
After a while, a girl with long, wavy blue hair came towards Eagle. "Where is Lantis-sempai?"  
  
"I think he went that way!" Eagle lied, pointing towards the gym. The girl then headed to that direction.  
  
"Speak of the devil...and there she is!!!" Lantis mumbled as he climbed down the tree.  
  
"Let's go. Or we'll be really late." 


	2. Sefiro High Chapter 2

Ferio looked around him and sighed as he walked down the school corridor. 'Man, this sucks...It seems like everybody knows everybody around here.' He held his registration paper in his hand and stared at it. He then looked to the sign on top of the door in front of him. "Class 1-A huh?" he told himself. He took a deep breath before opening the door and getting in.  
  
He must have stood there for quite sometime that one of the 2 guys to his left approached him. "Oi...you ok?" He found himself nod at the lavender-haired guy. "I'm Clef and this is my friend Ascot," Clef said, pointing at the young man beside him who have what looks like overgrown bangs. "You can take that chair beside us if you want, it's vacant."  
  
"Thanks," he said. "I am Ferio. I'm very nervous, as you might have noticed. I'm originally from Italy see, and I just moved here two months ago."  
  
"Your Japanese sounds good though," Ascot told him.  
  
"My mother is Japanese, so I learned how to speak the language when I was young. I kind of forgotten how to since I stopped speaking it for quite a while. Took those crash courses in some language school though..."  
  
"Cool...like you, we are foreigners. I'm Scandinavian and he's from Germany," Clef informed him. "But we have lived in Japan for years already. I've been here since I was three, while Ascot moved here with his parents in his grade school years."  
  
"You can hang out with us, if you don't have a group to belong to, which is quite obvious that you don't," Ascot said. "We can show you around after school and such. I bet you didn't have much time sight-seeing with those lingo-schools."  
  
"Thanks a lot," Ferio muttered. 'Hey, I actually met some people I actually got along with.'  
  
The noisiness of the classroom was replaced by silence for a while when the three girls in front of them entered. That was until the shortest among them, a girl with red, pigtailed hair gave a big smile and then said in a loud chirpy voice, " Good morning classmates!!!" The rest of the class, to their own surprise, muttered the greeting back, and couldn't help but stare at the three.  
  
"Wow Hikaru-san, that was quite an entrance," the pretty girl with glasses who is with her said.  
  
"You really think so?" Hikaru asked, biting her lips.  
  
"Kind of took too much attention," the girl with the blue hair said. "Look they're staring at us."  
  
"Aww...Did I make you feel uncomfortable Umi-chan?"  
  
"Just don't do it again..." Umi told her.  
  
"I didn't expect her to be our classmate," Ferio heard Ascot say.  
  
"Yes me neither..." Clef said.  
  
"Which one?" Ferio asked.  
  
"Miss Ryuuzaki. The beautiful one with the long blue hair," Ascot replied, getting starry-eyed. "Isn't she pretty? *sigh* "  
  
Clef hit the back of Ascot's head. "Enough daydreaming, twerp!"  
  
"Was she you're classmate in junior high?" Ferio asked.  
  
"Not really. We went to the same school though," Clef answered him. "It's a wonder that she is actually with a new crowd. She used to be one of the 'elite' in our school before. You know, the "in-group". After a while her "so-called friends" started to get jealous and spread rumors about her. Since then, most of the time she spent her time alone."  
  
" She is really nice, actually. One time, she helped me when I was cleaning in the library..."Ascot said.  
  
" She just offered to give u the book you dropped, baka!" Clef snapped at Ascot, gritting his teeth.  
  
"How about the other girls, you know them?"  
  
"Wait, they do look awfully familiar..." Ascot said.  
  
"The one with the pigtail is Hikaru Shidou, the other one with the glasses is Fuu Huouji," the young man behind them said. He is wearing this awful- looking hat, and looks a little bit short for his age.  
  
"How did you know?" Clef eyed him suspiciously. "And why are you eavesdropping?"  
  
"Hey! I can't help hearing your conversation, you know. And besides, I knew who they are so I told you."  
  
"What's your name?"  
  
"Zazu Torque. Call me Zazu."  
  
"I'm Ferio."  
  
"Ascot here."  
  
"Clef."  
  
"I know Hikaru-chan since she's from my school, and I know Huouji-san because she and I tied at the Young Citizens' Science Competition last year."  
  
"Zazuuu-kunnnnnnn!!!!" they heard the short girl said, dragging the other two girls behind her as she come towards them. "Hey! I didn't notice that you're here!" Zazu just smiled and started scratching his head in a silly manner.  
  
"Ohhhhh! Now I remember, Fuu Huouji is the one who topped the entrance exams!" Ascot exclaimed, blushing when he realized that he had spoken too loud.  
  
"Please mister, do not be so loud!" Fuu said, blushing herself. Ferio couldn't help stare at what it seemed to him as the most beautiful face he had ever seen.  
  
"Oh by the way Hikaru-chan, this is Ferio, Clef and Ascot," Zazu said.  
  
"Nice to meet you, I'm Hikaru Shidou."  
  
"Waahh!!! I remember her also!!! She is the Interschool Kendo Competition gold medallist for the women's category for 3 consecutive years!!!"  
  
"Hey! You're that guy from the library!" Umi said, pointing at Ascot. "And you're that grumpy man with him!!!" this time, pointing at Clef.  
  
"It's Clef!" Clef informed her. "And don't make it sound as if I'm too old!"  
  
"I am glad you remembered me, Miss Ryuuzaki," Ascot said blushing. "And you can call me Ascot."  
  
"I am very honored to meet you. My name is Fuu Huouji," Fuu introduced herself as gave a very polite bow.  
  
"Ferio, at your service, fair madam," Ferio said as he took Fuu's hand and kissed it.  
  
"Man, he's smooth...If only I can be like that, then I can date girls taller than me..." Zazu whined to himself.  
  
* * *  
  
"Good Morning class, I am your advisor, Emeraude Vendeli and I will be teaching you English and Literature."  
  
"Waaahhh!!!! You're.....you'reeeee...." Ferio exclaimed out loud, pointing at the new advisor.  
  
"And you're..." the advisor said, getting a bit teary-eyed, but then managed to regain her composure. She cleared her throat and said, "It is nice to see you after a long time Mr. Vendeli."  
  
"MR. VENDELI!!!"  
  
"I didn't know you are already married, Ferio-san," Fuu said.  
  
"No I am not! She's my sister!!!"  
  
A knock was heard at the door and the Head Master, Zagato Sol, entered. "Miss Vendeli, I need you in my office now."  
  
"Yes Sol-sensei. I'll be back in a while guys." "Hey, I didn't know that you have a sister working in this school."  
  
"I didn't either."  
  
"WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?"  
  
"Hey, I haven't seen her for a long time. My mother took her along when she went back to Japan. My parents got divorced while I was just 10, see."  
  
"I am very sorry about that Ferio-san," Fuu told him, with a voice full of compassion.  
  
'Waaahhh!!! As long as I have a girl like that gets sorry for me every time something bad happens in my life, I wouldn't mind being the most unlucky guy in the whole world,' Ferio thought to himself. 'Okay, so I don't mean that...But she's so sweet...'  
  
Suddenly, the door was burst open by the girl with a wavy blue hair who entered the room. She looked so tired and out of breath...and very, very angry. 'That Eagle Vision is going to pay!!!!' they heard her say.  
  
* * *  
  
"Miss Emeraude, I am very concerned when I learned that you actually have you're long-lost brother in your class," Zagato said. "I would want to hear from you if that would be affecting your performance as an advisor. Don't get me wrong, I know that you are very professional when it comes to teaching, it is just that I also know, that such things really can be stressful."  
  
"I don't think it is much of a problem, really."  
  
"Alright then, if you say so. But if ever I need to transfer the boy to another class, just let me know."  
  
"I can assure you, sir, that won't be necessary."  
  
"Very well, that's all Miss Emeraude." Emeraude stood up to leave and was about to open the door when Zagato said, "Oh and Miss Emeraude, do you have any plans for tonight?"  
  
* * *  
  
"Waaaaahhhh Umi-chan!!! I forgot to give my brother's lunch box to him before we parted this morning!!! I have to go and bring this to him."  
  
"Would you want us to go with you, Miss Hikaru?" Fuu asked.  
  
"No its fine really. You two eat already, I'll just come back ok?" Before either of Fuu or Umi could react, Hikaru was already running away from their sight. "Gotta hurry! Gotta hurry!" she told herself. Then she suddenly stopped. 'Where is the seniors' building again?' Hikaru sighed and scolded herself, 'Hikaru no baka, now you're gonna take really long! Oh well...' she shrugged and started running again. 'I'll just find someone who I can ask...' Maybe out of her thinking so much, that she hadn't notice that she'd actually trip into something. She nearly fell flat on her face if only the guy now underneath her hasn't tried catching her.  
  
"Are you alright, miss?" said the young man. She didn't mean to look into the guy's eyes but the moment she did, she was lost in them. It was a deep shade of purple. "Miss..."  
  
At that moment she finally realized where she was. She hurriedly stood up and apologized, "I am very sorry, err..." she took time analyzing his features; short, jet-black hair, very tall, and obviously, not a freshman. "...sempai."  
  
"Are you alright, Miss?" someone from behind them asked. And when she turned around to answer him, again, she was lost. Deep brown eyes...silver hair...  
  
"I think she is still in shock..."  
  
"Are you hurt, Miss?"  
  
'Snap out of it Hikaru!' she scolded himself. "I apologize for being so careless, ano, sempai. I am just in a hurry to bring my brother's lunch box you see. He's in class 3-C"  
  
"Its alright. You are a freshman, right? I am Eagle Vision and this one is Lantis Kyle Sol," the one with the silver hair asked.  
  
"Are you sure you are okay?" the one called Lantis said.  
  
Hikaru nodded and smiled, " I am very glad to meet you, sempai. I am Hikaru Shidou. Anyway I have to run...See you!!!"  
  
She was about to go when Lantis caught her by the hand and informed her, "You are going the wrong way."  
  
"Oh! I guess I am," Hikaru mumbled, biting her lips.  
  
"I think we'd better go with her, eh Lantis?"  
  
Lantis nodded.  
  
"Oh no! I don't want to be a bother!"  
  
"You're not being a bother. Let's go," Lantis said. 


	3. Sefiro High Chapter 3

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thanks for the review people!!! Wah booboo...thanks for the support *sniff*!!!  
  
It hadn't been too long since Hikaru left Lantis and Eagle to meet her friends. Eagle had been noticing a spark of amusement on Lantis' eyes for the whole time since then, which is very unlikely, especially when there's a bothersome wavy, blue-haired brat tugging at his arm.  
  
"You seem very happy today Lantis-sempai..." the girl said in a voice almost sounding like a purr.  
  
"So ne..."Eagle said. "Maybe its because he had met someone amusing. A preppy girl in a pigtail, perhaps?" A big sweat drop appeared on his forehead when Lantis shot him a death-glare.  
  
"No way!!! He's happy because he's with me!!! Ne, sempai??? Ne???"  
  
Lantis didn't answer and seemed to be lost in his own thoughts. 'A preppy girl with a pigtail huh?' he said to himself and then faintly smiled.  
  
Eagle raised an eyebrow and laughed out loud. His friend actually smiled! Seeing Lantis smile would be almost impossible. "So that's it!!!" he said. The faint curve on his friend's lips faded and Eagle received another death- glare.  
  
"No way that girl can make 'my' Lantis-sama interested... or even amused. She's so...so...short! And why would he be interested in someone else if he already had me? Ne Lantis-sempai? And I'm gonna marry Lantis-sempai someday too," Primera Faerie stated, quite sure of herself.  
  
"Shuttup!" Lantis hissed.  
  
"Waaaaaahhhhhhhh Lantis-sama!!! You are so mean to your fiancee!!!" Primera shouted and cried.  
  
"Now, now, Miss Primera, don't cry. Look you are going to be late if you stay here. Oh see you're hair is ruined, you wouldn't want you, the fiancee of Mr. Lantis Sol, looking all gloomy won't you?"  
  
"Well, I guess not..."  
  
"Besides I hear that the cheering squad is in need for new members and I heard they are hanging out somewhere near your building? You wouldn't want them to see you like that too, right? I heard you wanted to join the squad."  
  
"Well..."  
  
"I'm bored, I'm going back to class..." Lantis said and then started walking away.  
  
"Hey! Wait up!" Eagle shouted. "See you again, Miss Primera!"  
  
As soon as Eagle caught up with his friend, he received a blow on the back of his head. "BAKERO! What's this about that 'Mr. Lantis Sol's fiancee' talk?"  
  
"Well we wouldn't want her shouting and crying like a banshee, would we? Besides, you have a reputation to keep. What would your brother say if he heard rumors about some little girl shouting and crying when she was with you?"  
  
"Whatever!" He put his hands in his pocket and felt something round. He took it out and looked at it. A candy.  
  
There's that subtle curve on his lips again. Eagle couldn't help noticing. That was the second one he had seen---and it wasn't even ten minutes had passed after the first. "Hey if you don't want it, you can give it to me."  
  
"You have yours."  
  
Eagle took the candy in his pocket, opened the wrapper and popped the candy in his mouth. "Not for long, I won't. Hmm, so sweet!!! --- Since when did you ever want to eat sweet stuff?"  
  
"I may not have a sweet tooth like you but this is mine," Lantis answered him. "She gave this one to me..."  
  
* * *  
  
"Thanks a lot, sempai!" Hikaru said giving the proper bow.  
  
"It's nothing," Lantis said.  
  
"Anything to help a beautiful girl like you," Eagle said, winking.  
  
"We have to go," Lantis told her, turning around to leave.  
  
"Wait!" Hikaru said rummaging something from her pocket. She was looking very serious until she had found what she was looking for. Her face brightened. "Hold your palm up." Both boys looked at each other quizzically and did as they were told. "Here!" she said cheerfully, placing one candy on each open hand. "I don't know how to thank you enough so please accept these little things."  
  
Eagle looked very pleased. He loves sweets. "Thank you Hikaru-chan, how awfully sweet of you. Wait, you don't mind me calling you that do you?"  
  
Hikaru shook her head and smiled.  
  
Lantis on the other hand seemed to be frozen at his place. He actually was touched by her innocent act of kindness. His palm is still held up and he just couldn't help staring at her bright smiling face. She seemed to have noticed it that her face turned into a shade of red for a moment. 'She blushed. How cute.' That thought surprised him even more.  
  
"I think sempai doesn't like sweets," Hikaru mumbled.  
  
"I..." Lantis stammered. "Thank you Miss Hikaru."  
  
"LANTIS-SAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" It wasn't long until Primera had taken Lantis' hand in a way, which would be taken as a death- grip. "I missed you..." she said, in a half-purr.  
  
"Shuttup," Lantis said gritting his teeth.  
  
"He-he...ahem..." Eagle sai, trying to contain his laughter.  
  
"Uhm...I think I have to go," Hikaru mumbled under her breath.  
  
"YOU!" Primera shouted. "Are you planning to take my Lantis-sempai away from me?"  
  
"Miss Primera, it's not what you think..." Eagle said, scratching his head.  
  
"He's mine, you hear? MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE!"  
  
"I am not trying to..."  
  
Before Hikaru could finish her sentence Primera stopped her short and said, "Don't deny it! Your trying to charm him! You can't take him away from me!!!"  
  
"But..."  
  
"No 'but'!"  
  
"Stop it Primera," Lantis said in a low, warning tone.  
  
"Yes, Lantis-sama! Anything you want!!!"  
  
"I have to go now sempai! My friends are waiting for me. Thank you again!!!" Hikaru said and ran away, waving her hand.  
  
"We're both looking forward to seeing you again Hikaru-chan!!!" Eagle said.  
  
"Oh just let her leave..." And then Primera shouted, "And don't ever come baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!!!!"  
  
"Primera..." Lantis warned.  
  
* * *  
  
Ferio and the gang spotted Fuu and Umi sitting in the middle of a grassy spot near the tennis court. It had been a good spot for other students who want to eat lunch outside the noisy cafeteria. Ascot had led them to the place since Clef had been complaining of the noise of school canteens. There are several students around also who had found the spot a nice way to enjoy their lunch as if they are on a picnic. "Hey, classmates!" Ferio greeted both girls.  
  
"Why hello, Mr. Ferio," Fuu greeted him back with a sweet smile.  
  
"He-Hello Miss Ryuuzaki," Ascot stammered running his hand through his hair. "Eh??? Where's Hikaru-chan?" Zazu asked.  
  
"She went to bring her brother his lunch box," Umi replied.  
  
"Is it ok if we join you ladies?" Ferio asked.  
  
"Yes, Mr. Ferio," Fuu said.  
  
"Excuse me, Clef-san, but you are stepping on the mat," Umi said, pointing at the part of the mat the Clef had been stepping on.  
  
'Sassy girl...the mat is meant to get dirty after all...' Clef said to himself. He took his lunchbox out and started eating...fast. Actually, he was eating too fast that the others were practically staring at him.  
  
"Maybe you would want to have something to drink?" Umi told Clef.  
  
"Maybe you should mind your own business," Clef snapped at her munching away.  
  
"You are spoiling my appetite!" Umi said. "And besides, I was merely suggesting."  
  
"I don't need your suggestions and its not your fault if you're too sassy that how I eat makes u loose your appetite!"  
  
"Grumpy old man..." Umi muttered under her breath.  
  
"I HEARD THAT! AND I AM NOT AN OLD MAN, PRISSY GIRL!"  
  
"OLD MAN!"  
  
"PRISSY GIRL...!"  
  
And they went on and on for the whole lunch hour... 


	4. Sefiro High Chapter 4

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Oops, the flashback in chapter 3 is supposed to be in Italics. I forgot the some formatted text in *.doc files would not be recognized. I don't know how long this fanfic would be. I am in the habit of making some stuff too detailed...like wot happens fer a day can make up several chapters (like on these first chapters). Blah! It's beginning to be more of a Hikaru/Lantis fic too...I'll see to give more emphasis on the other characters this time. Wotever! Me just write and write and write...I hope and pray that I would have the will to finish this one.

BooBoo, thank you, and I wuv you! Oh and thanks Moonlight Sonata for the constant reviews. 

=^-_-^=

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The day had passed smoothly among the students of Sefiro High School. And almost all students of class 1-A know each other by know, saying goodbye's to their old and new found friends. They were very cheerful, according to Miss Emeraude's observation, and have not complained when she gave them their first assignment. She had also noticed, that the kids were actually heading to the library to be able to have their work done. 

She looked out of the window, and sighed. She wished she had made her brother stay after class. She wanted to make up time for the two of them to be together and ask how he and their father had been doing. "Ahem..." She was too engrossed in her own thoughts that she hasn't noticed that she is actually not alone anymore. 

"Why...Sol-sensei."

"So have you thought about what I have asked?"

"Well, actually..."

"It's really ok if you have other plans really."

"No, I was actually going to your office to tell you that I'd be glad to have dinner with you."

Zagato nodded and then smiled. "Are you on your way home? I can drive you."

"Yes I am on my way home, but I have to pass by somewhere first and I don't want to be a bother. I will just meet you tonight?"

"Say, 7:30?"

"Yes Mr. Sol."

"It's a date then? And do call me Zagato when we are not talking about work hmm? It's not as if we weren't friends in college after all."

"Yes Mr. Sol ---err ---- Zagato," Emeraude blushed.

"Tell me, Emeraude..."

"Yes, Zagato?"

"Why did you leave me?"

*                                                                 *                                                                 *

Alcyone Vidal closed the door as quietly as possible. 'Could it be? Mr. Sol and Miss Vendeli?' She shook her head in disbelief, as she walked along the corridor. She had been looking for Mr. Zagato a few minutes before this incident. She spotted him enter Miss Vendeli's classroom so she followed. She was going to knock at the door until she heard the conversation from the outside. 

'No...I don't believe it! Mr. Sol had made sure to me that he is not interested in having relationships with his staff.' She can still remember how he had turned her down.

"_I am sorry Miss Vidal, I must admit you are a very beautiful and attractive woman, but I cannot return your feelings. I do not need to explain why."_

_"Is it because I am a part of your staff and you do not want any complications?"_

_He looked at her and then said, "Yes...yes that's it."_

_"I can leave this place and find another work. Then maybe we can have a chance?"_

_"No Miss Vidal...Alcyone...but I would not allow you to resign. Your work is very much needed in this institution."_

_"But if I..."_

_"No more, let us just pretend that this conversation never took place."_

'... And so we did. But I did not forget.' She went straight to the women faculties' room. Tears were running down her cheeks. 'I have not forgotten, as I will not forget this day. The one who will be with Zagato Sol is me!' She clutched her fists tightly, so tight that her nails dug in her palms.

*                                                                 *                                                        *

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!" the cheerleaders shouted as they jumped up and down when they saw a tall man, in a military cut, kicked the ball to the goal. "He's sooooo cuuutttteeeee!!!!" they shrieked. 

"Okay boys, practice over. See you again tomorrow," the young man said, heading to the bleachers. Two of the cheerleaders actually ran to him to offer him a towel and water. "Thanks ladies."

The two girls smiled and then said, "You're very welcome Geo-sama," at the same time. Geo smiled. He never get used to it when that happens. 'They said its natural when you are twins...' Tarta and Tatra, that's what their names are. 'Even their names are very similar.'

"Tsk-tsk, Geo...always the ladies' man," Eagle said as he and Lantis walked towards him.

"And what do you call yourselves?" Geo told them. "I heard the great Lantis Kyle Sol here is having problems about some crazed fan."

Eagle laughed out loud. "So you have heard?"

"Shuttup," Lantis said.

"Who would not notice that little crazed, blue-haired freshmen who kept on looking for her 'Lantis-sama'?"

"Damn it!" Lantis muttered.

Eagle started laughing again, and this time it was louder, which made Lantis more annoyed. "He doesn't really liked to be teased Geo."

"I know that's why I'm doing it."

"I'm gonna kill you...." Lantis hissed.

"Relax. I'll stop!"

"Hey, we met a nice girl today..." Eagle said looking for a reaction on Lantis' face. 

"Really huh?"

"Yups! She's very nice and sweet. Lantis here bumped into her, and we decided to help her out on finding her brother's room. She thanked us by giving us candies. Lantis even ate the one she gave him."

"Whoa! Lantis eating a candy! And given by a girl too...Man, now I'm getting curious."

*                                                                 *                                                        *

"What are we doing here?" Lantis asked, yawning and looking very bored yet very uneasy. "If Primera sees me..."

"Don't worry, I'll keep watch," Geo said, containing his smile.

"Hikaru-chan!!!!" Eagle called out and waved his hand. Geo and Lantis looked to the direction to where Eagle was waving at.

"Sempai!!!" Hikaru said, waving back. It didn't took long until he and the boys had approached her. "Hello! Oh by the way, these are my classmates, Umi Ryuuzaki and Fuu Huouji."

"Hello girls, I am Eagle Vision."

"Geo Metro, nice to meet you."

"Lantis Kyle Sol."

"I'm very honored to meet you, sempai," Fuu Huouji greeted back bowing politely. "I am Fuu Huouji"

"I'm Umi Ryuuzaki."

"What are you doing in the freshmen building?" Hikaru asked Lantis.

Lantis seemed frozen at his place again, couldn't look into Hikaru's eyes, much more answer her. Besides, he doesn't even know the answer to her question really.

Eagle, noticing it, decided to answer for him, "We are actually helping Geo here to post the announcements about the club recruitments and all."

"Oh, can we have some of the flyers? We can help by giving some to our classmates," Fuu suggested.

"Well, uh...see..."Eagle stammered.

"Well actually, that's why we're just standing here too, I forgot the flyers. He-he-he!" Geo laughed, scratching his head.

"LANTIS-SAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" 

"Damn it! She's here," Lantis said. "I'm leaving. Hoping to see you soon, Shidou-san."

"Uh...got to go..."Geo said waving his hand.

"OH MY LANTIS-SAMAAAAAAAAAA...ARE YOU HERE TO PICK ME UP????"

"I'm sorry about this girls, but we have to run."

*                                                                 *                                                        *

"....'Hoping to see you soon, Shidou-san'" Geo mimicked Lantis. "What was that all about?"

"What's wrong with that?"

"Well Lantis, let's put it this way: If I said it, then nothing is wrong...but it was you who actually said that to a girl! And you never say anything like that to a girl! You never even say anything at all! You really like her a lot huh? What is it? Love at first sight or what?"

"Hell no!"

"Well Lantis," Eagle said. "If you don't feel anything about her, you don't mind me courting her don't you?"

"Suit yourself. I'm going home!" Lantis said and then walked away. He kicked the small rocks blocking his way. "Ksou!" he muttered to himself, 'What does he mean 'court her'? Why did he have to say he'd court her?' When he realized what he was getting pissed about and how pissed he really sounded he swore again, "Damn it!"


	5. Sefiro High Chapter 5

AUTHOR'S NOTE: My dang pc ain't working properly. &*^*&^%^&^%^pc!!!!! And the format of me chapter 4 is abooboo too!!!! waaaahhhh!!!!! fate is not being good to me!!!!!!!!!!  
  
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A week had passed since the beginning of the school year. Most of the freshmen have gotten used to their new surroundings.  
  
This is the time where clubs in school are recruiting new members. Sefiro High encourages students to join and participate in extra-curricular activities such as these to help in the personal, emotional, and social developments of the students. This is why classes are suspended starting lunch break to accommodate this event and one classroom had been assigned per club for the registration and orientation for the new members.  
  
"Hmm, Umi, what club are you gonna join?" Hikaru asked.  
  
"I'm not yet sure. How many clubs do they allow for each student to join in to?"  
  
"I heard 5 is the maximum, Miss Umi."  
  
"How about you, Fuu? Which club are you going to join?" Umi asked.  
  
"Science Club and Math Club for the academic ones. I am going to join the Japanese Archery Club too. I saw that there's no problem on the registration schedules."  
  
"I think I would join the English Literature Club and the Fencing Club then..."Umi pondered. "That is if there's no registration schedule conflicts."  
  
"Me, I'm just going to join the Kendo Club, nothing else."  
  
"Want to look at the bulletin board for the schedules Miss Umi? They posted the assigned rooms also," Fuu suggested.  
  
"Can I go with you too? I don't know which room I have to go yet."  
  
* * *  
  
Miss Caldina Odoriko made sure that Mr. Lafarga Dal would notice her as she walked past him. Wearing her dancing leotards, she walked the walk, so to speak, her hips moving left and right in a smooth and seductive manner. "Well if it isn't Lafarga..." she said. "You're just the man...I mean, person I need..."  
  
She had always liked him since from the time she first got into the school, and she has this feeling that he likes her in the same way. The problem is, he is quite shy. So after thinking about it for quite sometime, she had decided to make the first move. She figured it would be easy. She knows that with her pink pony-tailed hair, tanned complexion, and a body to die for, men actually find her extremely attractive.  
  
"Hello Odoriko-san," Lafarga answered her.  
  
"Well it's like this, you see. I need to arrange the speakers of the new dance room before the club registration starts. The nitwits who put it there didn't bother to set them up properly...and I was wondering if you can help me?"  
  
"Well...I..."  
  
"As you can see, my body is not meant to be lifting and carrying such loads..." she said, her hand on her hip as if striking a pose to highlight her assets. She noticed Lafarga let go of a big 'gulp!' and it made her smile. "So will you help me?"  
  
"Well, sure Odoriko-san..."  
  
"Thanks honey," she said, winking at him. She saw him blush and laughed. "Let's go then?" Lafarga can only nod.  
  
* * *  
  
Primera is very much excited in joining the cheering squad. This is the main reason why she chose to sit on the front row. She sat quietly, and listened to the cheerleaders in front of them.  
  
"The cheering squad adviser, Miss Caldina Odoriko, will not be here until later. She is currently, like, at the orientation of the Dance Club that she is managing also. Soooo, like, I'm here anyway...so....uhm... First of all, like, I want to thank you girls for coming," Tarta Chizeta said to the cheering squad recruits. "And, like, we expect you to give your all to this squad. The practice starts from like, 4pm to 6pm every Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. We might also, like, require you to attend weekend practices, that is, if we are going to enter some competitions and stuff."  
  
"And if our schedules are not busy, we can have tea parties!" Tatra her twin, added. Thus, making all the people in the room face-fault.  
  
"Tatra!!!!!!!!"  
  
"Yes, Tarta?" she answered, smiling sweetly.  
  
"Oh nevermind...Like, anyway, like, we are going to conduct an intense training for you girls. Coz, like, you know, we have to see how good you are." And then Tarta added in a grim voice, " So prepare yourselves...." followed by a loud laugh.  
  
"Don't excite yourself too much, sister...Would you want me to get you some tea?" Tatra said, which made all the girls in the room face-fault again.  
  
* * *  
  
"Hey Miss Fuu!!!" Febin said running towards her. "Are you joining the Math Club also?"  
  
"Well, yes..."  
  
"Oh that's great, I'm joining the Math Club too!"  
  
"Why, Ferio-san, I didn't know you like Math." "Actually, I don't like Math..."  
  
"Oh..."  
  
"Well, I'm joining the Math club so that I can improve my Math. Hehehe..."  
  
"I see..."  
  
"I am going to join the Science club also...."  
  
"Why, Ferio-san, I didn't know you like science! I am joining the Science club also."  
  
"Hehehe...I don't like Science either...."  
  
* * *  
  
Hikaru, after a long run around the school, had finally found the kendo room. She entered the door, and sat on the corner, panting. "Why, you're looking very tired."  
  
"*pant* I don't think I will ever get used to this big school..." she answered, not even bothering to look at the guy who said that to her.  
  
"The registration is finished an hour ago."  
  
"WHATTTTTTT!!!!" she stood up, and found herself standing face-to- face (or is it face-to-chest?...okay that's corny) with Lantis, clad in the kendo-costume.  
  
They must have been standing there for a minute or so, just staring at each other. Not knowing what to say next. "Here..." Lantis finally said as he handed Hikaru a bottle of mineral water he had been holding.  
  
"No thanks, sempai...I..."  
  
"Take it." Hikaru felt that she should, took the bottle and started opening it. It must be because she was too tired running around, that she didn't have any strength to do the task. Lantis, noticing it, took the bottle and did it for her and handed it back.  
  
"I guess it's too late for me to join then..." she said in a sad voice.  
  
"Sign your name here," Lantis said, holding out the registration sheet. She did as she was told and after that, Lantis gave her another piece of paper. "You can take it home and just submit it to me tomorrow."  
  
"Thanks a lot sempai!" Hikaru said bowing her head. After that she took a candy out of her pocket and gave it to him again.  
  
"We have a one-hour practice starts at 3:30 pm every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. That's all you need to know, the rest is just welcome crap."  
  
"See you on Wednesday, sempai!" Hikaru left the room after she bowed for the last time.  
  
As soon as the girl left, Eagle went out of the changing room. "So she gave you candy again?"  
  
"You can't have it," Lantis said and he popped the candy in his mouth. 


	6. Sefiro High Chapter 6

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Buwa-hahahahahahahahahaha... nothing. Lotsa people liked me stuff....buwa-hahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------  
  
The next day, Hikaru was surprised when she saw Lantis standing in front of their classroom. He seemed be very bored, waiting for someone. His face sort of brightened when he saw her.  
  
"Ohayo sempai!" Hikaru greeted him. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"I told you I'll have the application form today didn't I?"  
  
"But, you didn't have to go this far just for that..."  
  
"Are you finished filling it up?" he said, cutting her short.  
  
"Well...I filled it up last night. I put it here somewhere..." she answered, rummaging through her things. "Ahhh...here it is!" she said and handed the paper to him which made them accidentally touch hands.  
  
And then it happened again, the two of them, just standing there in silence for a minute or two. Until... "YOOHOOOOOO LANTIS-SAMA!!!!!!!" Primera broke the spell.  
  
It wasn't long until Primera is clutching Lantis' arm. "Damn it!" he swore under his breath.  
  
"How sweet of you to come here and wait in front of my classroom just to see me," Primera purred.  
  
"Your---classroom?"  
  
"And you!" Primera said pointing at Hikaru. "How dare you flirt with 'my' Lantis-sama!"  
  
"I am not flirting with him, Primera-san."  
  
"Ha! Don't you dare deny it! I saw it with my own eyes! You were trying to hold his hand!" Primera said with a glare.  
  
"Ah-hehe---uhm- I'm going inside now! Hehe..." And with that, Hikaru ran inside.  
  
"You stay away! Right Lantis-sama?" Primera turned around to see that Lantis had already gone. "Uhhh---Lantis-sama...."  
  
* * *  
  
"Have you seen the guy outside?" one girl from Hikaru's class said.  
  
"Yes, he's sooooo dreamy!!!" another girl said.  
  
"I heard that's Lantis Kyle Sol, the head-master's brother. He's also the current captain of the kendo team."  
  
"Wow! He sounds so cool!"  
  
"He's kind of the un-approachable type though."  
  
"But I just saw him talking with Shidou-san."  
  
"I saw Sol-sempai and Vision-sempai with her a week ago."  
  
"Whoaaaaaa!!! Vision-sempai? Is he the one with the silver hair? I envy Shidou-san for being able to get to be with those two handsome guys!"  
  
"Look! There she is! She looks quite flushed though..."  
  
Hikaru quickly sat between Umi and Fuu, and gave a deep sigh. "What's wrong Miss Hikaru?" Fuu asked.  
  
Primera soon entered the room and went straight to Hikaru's direction, looking very angry. "HIKARU SHIDOU! I WARN YOU! LANTIS-SAMA IS MINE, YOU HEAR ME? STAY AWAY FROM HIM!"  
  
Umi stood up and then told Primera, "Hey! Stop being mean to her! She is not taking Lantis away from you! Besides, he's not yours anyway! So you have no right to shout at Hikaru or warn her about anything."  
  
"Hmph!" Primera said and walked away. This incident had made the girls start gossiping again.  
  
"...Wow! Did you hear that?"  
  
"Yeah...There seemed to be a love-triangle of some sort..."  
  
"This is going to be really interesting!"  
  
* * *  
  
"Oi, Kakeru-san, I heard your sister had joined the Kendo club," Geo told him.  
  
"Yeah she really loves the sport."  
  
"Why didn't you join the club too? I heard the Shidou's had been the star kendo players of this school."  
  
"I needed time away from kendo, that's all. Besides, if I joined the kendo club, you won't have an excellent goal keeper," Kakeru said, grinning.  
  
Geo laughed and then decided to change the topic, "I met your sister last week. She's very nice."  
  
"Oh really?"  
  
Geo nodded. "I heard that she had caught the eye of some seniors..."  
  
"Stop kidding with me, Geo," Kakeru warned him in a very serious tone.  
  
"Okay, okay...but your sister is in high school now. Sooner or later she's gonna have a boyfriend or something..."  
  
"Well, that guy would have to pass through me and my brothers first...Say, don't tell me that you're interested in her..."  
  
"Haha...no...You know me, I prefer the shapely, mature, cheerleader type."  
  
* * *  
  
"So, tell me, how did your orientations went?" Hikaru asked her friends, after relating what had happened to her the day before.  
  
"It was a disaster!" Umi exclaimed.  
  
"How come, Miss Umi?"  
  
"Well, I told you I was joining the English Literature club right?"  
  
"Yes..."  
  
"It turned out that Clef was there also. And as soon as I entered the room, he said, 'Why it isn't Miss Sassy!' How embarrassing!" Fuu and Hikaru started laughing. "...So anyway I got pissed off and said, 'Stop it old man!' And then it went on and on...Good thing Ascot was also there to remind us that there were actually other people around. We were even scolded for being too noisy."  
  
"How about you Fuu?"  
  
"Well, nothing much to tell really...My registration ran smoothly. Oh and Mister Ferio is in the same two clubs I had applied for."  
  
"Ooooohhh!!!" Umi started teasing Fuu, making the latter blush. "I think that guy really likes you. So, if he tries to, you know, court you...does he stand a chance?"  
  
"Well, he really is a nice young man...." Fuu said, blushing. "But, I don't think he will...uhm..."  
  
"Ooooohhhhhhhhhhh!!!!"  
  
* * *  
  
Ascot and Clef is walking towards the library when they heard someone call their names. "Ascot!!!! Clef!!!!"  
  
They turned around and saw a girl with long, light brown hair tied in a high ponytail running towards them. "Presea! I didn't know you also study here."  
  
"I saw you at the club meeting, I came in late so you didn't notice me. You did look like you were in a hurry to leave also so I didn't approach you afterwards."  
  
"What class are you in?" Ascot asked.  
  
"Class 1-D."  
  
"I see..."  
  
"Anyway, I have to go. I just figured I should say hi. See you!"  
  
* * * 


	7. Sefiro High Chapter 7

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Someone asked me how come that I had mentioned H/L/E pairings and have not really written much about the H/E part. Well, I will write more about it in the later chapters. Waaahhhh!!!!!! Thanks fer the reviewsss, minna!!! Sorry for the delay but I just reformatted my dang pc. 

          Caldina saw Lafarga about to pass by the hall near the dance room. She made sure that nobody else is around and then hurried inside to execute her plan. She waited for the right moment that Lafarga would be in front of her door, opened the bottle with a spider in it and screamed. "EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKK!" she shouted at the top of her lungs, ran outside her classroom, and threw herself straight on the arms of her victim. 

          Lafarga did not notice the sly smile that had formed on Caldina's face, since she had clung to him tight. To him, she looked extremely shaken. "Miss Odoriko…"

          "There's a spider in the dance room," Caldina whimpered, her lips quivering. "I do hate spiders…I'm so scared Mr. Dal. Can you please get rid of it for me? I can't work properly knowing there is such creature in the dance room."

          "Uh…sure…Wait here, Odoriko-san," Lafarga said but Caldina held herself closer to him. 

          "Please don't leave me…"

          "Well I have to go inside alone to get rid of the spider…" Lafarga said, blushing.

          "Well then I'll go with you."

          "But you're scared of spiders Odoriko-san."

          "Yes, you're right, I am."

          "Wait here…"

          As soon as Lafarga entered the room, Caldina couldn't help having a big smile on her face. "Damn, am good!"

          *                                               *                                               *

          The last student has left the classroom and Emeraude is alone again. She sighed…at last, solitude. _"Why did you leave me?" _The question seemed to repeat in her mind over and over again. She had chosen not to answer. He wouldn't like the answer anyway. She told him it doesn't matter anymore, and it's better that they should forget about the past. 

          They had been the perfect couple in college. People were even sure that they would get married very soon. Yes, they had planned to get married, but neither of them thought it was the right time yet. They had decided to wait just a little while… So is that the reason why she left? No, she didn't get tired of waiting. So what was it?

          It wasn't because she didn't love him, she had loved him with all her heart, and she loves him still. Years had past and she haven't forgotten him. It was as if he would always be a part of her. 

          It wasn't because she felt she didn't love him. She knows that he had loved her more than anything else in the world. He was a great lover. He had been very sweet, caring, and understanding. He almost worshiped the ground she stepped on. He adored her. 

          And yet one autumn day she had packed her bags without saying goodbye…

          *                                               *                                               *

_          "Congratulations Miss. Vendeli, you're pregnant."_

_          Emeraude couldn't believe it. "This couldn't be! Not now…" she said to herself. It is not that she does not want the baby. It just seemed to be bad timing. _

_          Zagato had just lost his parents, who left him to manage a bankrupt school. He had been very determined not to sell it out, and he is struggling to keep it. She is sure that if she told him, he would not hesitate to marry her. "I would only add to his problems…"she had told herself. "No, I cannot let it happen…but what will I do?"_

_          She hurried herself home and then as if in a trance, started packing her bags. After doing so, she sat on her bed, placed her hand on her tummy and started crying. She wiped her tears from her face. "Should I leave a note? Should I call him? If yes, what would I say? No…it's better if I didn't say goodbye. He would hate me… but maybe, that would be the best."_

_          So she left him, deciding to take care of the baby by herself. She had missed him, and cried every-single night. Nine months later she gave birth to a dead child._

_          *                                               *                                               *_

          Eagle and Lantis was walking home when they passed by a bakeshop. "Hey Lantis, can you wait a sec? I just saw a cheesecake on the display window."

          "Oh crap. Fine, just hurry up."

          After a few minutes, he saw Hikaru, Umi and Fuu. He saw Hikaru say goodbye to her friends and then continued walking. "Ah! Sempai!" she said after seeing him. Then she seemed to notice something at the display window. "Waaaaaaahhhh!!!! Cheesecake!!!!" she quickly put her hand inside her pockets and then salvaged every coin left in it. Lantis just looked curiously at her as she counted the coins on her palm again and again. Hikaru sighed. Looking a little bit sadder now, Hikaru said goodbye to Lantis, sighing heavily as she walked away. 

          Eagle was actually surprised when Lantis entered the bakeshop. "Oi, what's taking u so long?" Lantis said.

          "Well, I saw these brownies and the sans rival, and the chocolate mousse, and the lemonpie…"

          "Okay, I get the picture." Turning to the storekeeper he said, "One box of cheesecake please."

          "Hey! Is that for me?"

          "Its not! And take your time. I'm going ahead. I just remembered I had to do something first," Lantis said after paying for his purchase. "Ja!"

          He dashed out of the bakeshop and followed Hikaru, careful that she would notice him. After making sure that she is inside and that nobody was around, he took off his pen and wrote on the box, "For Hikaru Shidou." He then rang the bell, put the box on the doorstep and then left.

          *                                               *                                               *

          "Who is it???" Masaru said and opened the door. He saw noone, but found a box instead. He read the handwriting on the box, "For Hikaru Shidou."

          "Who was that, bro?" Satoru asked.

          "Nobody."

          "What's that you're holding?"

          "It's for Hikaru."

          "For me?" Hikaru said running towards the door.

          "Hmm…how odd," Satoru said.

          "Maybe, it's from an admirer or something," Kakeru told them, leaving Hikaru blushing. "Geo told me that there are some guys from the higher years that fancy sis."

          "Hmm, maybe it's a practical joke. Open it," Satoru said. "We have to be sure, she's our baby sister after all."

          "But brother!" Hikaru whined.

          "No 'but's we are just making sure that you are safe."

          "It looks like cheesecake!"

          "A cheesecake? Who'd give Hikaru cheesecake?"

          "I told you it must be some admirer…"

          "Wait, it must be poisoned…We eat it first…"

          "Brother!!!!"

          "We are just making sure of your safety sis…Hmm…yummy…"Satoru said.

          "I will taste too," Masaru said. "Oi, Kakeru, what are you doing there? You taste this too…"

          "Brothers…"Hikaru pleading, teary-eyed. 

          "I guess to be a little bit more sure we should eat more of these."

          "Waaaaahhhhh!!!! My cheesecake!!!!"

          "I agree-- *munch munch* ---Brother, this seems to be a safe cake."

          "Hmm, I guess so… You go and have some now too, sis."

          Hikaru's face brightened but was shocked when she saw her cake. Her brother had left her only one slice! "Waaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!" she cried out loud.


	8. Sefiro High Chapter 8

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Lalalalala…nothing. My mind is overflowing with ideas that I don't know which one I'd write first. Ok, I think this is gonna be a long one…*sigh* wotever…Emphasis on the other two knights fer now. 

*buu – its something like, the sound effect for having a wrong answer…

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!" Ferio shouted, holding the results of his first quizzes on Algebra and Science. 

Zazu took a peek at Ferio's Math paper and started reading out loud, "No. 1: Buu! No. 2: Buu!…"

"Shuddup!" Ferio said, hitting Zazu on top of his head. "You don't have to rub it in!"

"Look at his score in his Science quiz… 1/10!!!" Ascot told the guys.

"At least I got one right!"

"No you haven't, that's the bonus point…" Clef pointed out. "WAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"

"Is there something wrong Ferio-san?" Fuu asked, as she and the girls walked towards them. 

"Oh my God! Are those your papers?" Umi said.

"WAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! I don't like these subjects at all!!!!!!"

"They're not that hard really…" Fuu said.

"That's because you're very smart…" Ferio whimpered. Suddenly, an idea came to his mind. He knelt in front of Fuu, gave his best puppy-eye look and then begged, "Please help me Fuu-chan!!!! Please be my study partner!!!!! Please, please, please, pleaseeeeeee… I promise I'll study hard and do everything you say… Please!!!!!"

"Why, Ferio-san, you are making a big scene!" Fuu exclaimed.

"I don't care!!!!! Waaaahhhh!!! Please, I really need you're help!!! If you turn me down…what will happen to me? I'll fail all my quizzes…my exams…I'll fail Math and Science all in all…The worst that can happen is that I don't graduate! And if I don't graduate I won't have good job! I'll just be that man arranging the fruits in the supermarket!!!"

"Just say 'yes' Fuu, or he'll never shut up," Clef said.

"The old man is right…" Umi said.

"Ah-hehe…" Fuu said, a huge sweat drop forming on the side of her head. Ferio again, flashed his best puppy-eye look. "Well… okay."

*                                     *                                     *

Umi opened the door to her house. Their head housekeeper welcomed her with worry on her face, "Welcome back Miss Umi, your mother had left a note for you at the study."

"Thank you, Mayumi."

          She then rushed to the study and found the note at the table. She quickly opened the note and read it. 

_To my dearest child,_

_          First of all, I would want you to know that your father and I love you very much. I also want you to know that I have decided to leave the country for a while. I will be back in a month or so. I am sorry that I had not waited until you get home before leaving._

_          You see, your father and I had decided to have a divorce. Please understand that you have nothing to do with this and that we just both feel that we couldn't live together anymore. _

_          I love you._

_                                                                                                Love,_

_                                                                                      Mama_

          She sighed and then put the note in the trashcan. She wasn't surprised, she had felt the tension between her parents for a long time. She knew that sooner or later it would come to this. 

          Her parents had been both too busy with their work that they had no time for each other although they tried hard to be with their only daughter. They seldom had family outings. Usually, her parents would spend time with her in an alternate manner.  "Are you alright Miss Umi?"

          "Yes Mayumi. Where is papa?"

          "Your father had left for Osaka, Miss Umi. He would be staying there for a few days for a business seminar."

          "I see… Well, then, I'm going out with my friends. I don't know if I'll be home for dinner."

          "Yes Miss Umi."

          *                                               *                                               *

          "Hello?"

          "Hello, Hikaru?"

          "Umi-chan!"

          "I was wondering if you wanna come with me to go shopping and all…"

          "Well… I am very sorry, but I'm doing some baby sitting…"

          "Baby-sitting?"

          "Yes, the neighbor asked for a favor and all…"

          "Oh I see…Would you want to come over for tea tomorrow? I am going to bake a cake and well…"

          "Wow! A cake! Okay I'll be there"

          "Tomorrow then. See you."

          "See you."

          Umi sighed and dialed another number. "Hello?"

          "Huouji residence."

          "Uh…Fuu?"

          "This is her sister Kuu."

          "Oh I'm sorry, is Fuu there?"

          "Wait. Fuu! Its for you!"

          After a few seconds, picked up the phone. "Hello?"

          "Fuu. This is Umi."

          "Oh Umi-san."

          "I was wondering if you could accompany me? I'm going to bake a cake tomorrow you see and I'm going to buy the ingredients."

          "Well, I would really want to go with you, but Ferio-san is coming over for his study help."

          "Ah! Ok. Are you free tomorrow then? Hikaru is coming over at my house for tea and it would be really fun if you come too."

          "Sure Miss Umi." 

          "Great. See you!"

          She placed the receiver and the left the phone booth. "Oh well, I guess I'd have to do with being all by myself."

          *                                               *                                               *

Clef had just left the cd-store a while ago, having no idea where to go next. What a boring Friday afternoon it is. "At least it's not as boring as it would have been if I stayed home," he told himself. He had asked his friends to accompany him, but all of them had things to do. Ferio is coming over at Fuu's place for that study-help, Zazu cannot come because he had promised to help some senior with his car, and as for Ascot…_ "Sorry Clef, but my dog is very sick and I have to take care of him." _Blah! Him and his pets!

He had decided to go to the local park. There is a nice small stall there that sells delicious rice cakes, and he is getting kind of hungry. And then he saw Umi sitting at the bench facing the pond. He wasn't going to approach her but then, something made him change his mind. "Well if it isn't Miss Sassy!" he said. He was surprised that she didn't answer back. "Oi! What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing Clef." 

"..No 'Hi old man?'"

"Hi old man."

"Look I know it's none of my business, but I kind of have this feeling that you have a problem." Suddenly, Umi burst into tears. "Oi…don't cry on me….Aww…come on! Stop that! …Hey!" One of the things he can't stand is a woman crying in front of him. "Hey! Can't you just stop sobbing and tell me what's bothering you? Hey… hey! What is it? You're boyfriend dumped you?" Umi shook her head. "You and your friends argued?" Again, Umi shook her head and her sobbing got louder. "THEN CAN YOU PLEASE STOP CRYING AND TELL ME WHAT'S WRONG?"

"I'm going to bake a cake tomorrow," Umi murmured. 

"What???"

"I called Hikaru and Fuu but both of them can't accompany me to buy the ingredients…"

"You're crying just because of that???? My God, woman! How crazy can you be?"

"My parents are going to have a divorce…" Umi finally told him. "I just learned it this afternoon. Both of them didn't have the gall to tell me personally…"

"I see…" His parents are very loving to each other so he cannot fully relate to her situation, but he does feel that she's hurting really bad…She is crying because she had to go through this alone. "Let's go…" Clef said offering his hand to Umi. 

"Huh?"

"You are going to get ingredients for that cake right?" Umi stared at his open palm. "Well, what are you waiting for?" Umi nodded, wiped her tears away, and took his hand. 'Better this than being alone…' 

*                                               *                                               *


	9. Sefiro High Chapter 9

AUTHOR'S NOTE: *yawns* I dunno wots wrong wiff me but I seem to be always sleepy. Anyway thanks fer the reviews again ppl! Keep 'em coming. ( and oh.before I forgot.just in case there are some grammatical abooboos and such, just bear wiff me coz like, English ain't me first lingo ok? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------  
  
Eagle yawned and then stretched his arms. He had slept in the library again, good thing nobody noticed. He will try to remember to put a big book in front of him again next time, just so people would think he was just reading. 'That was one of the best naps I've ever had.'  
  
He stood up, deciding he should leave. He would have to bring the book back though, so he walked to the "RETURN BOOK" shelf. He yawned again and looked at his watch. 'Lantis would have gone ahead right now. He does hate to wait,' he told himself. 'Unless he's on top of some tree somewhere catching a snooze.but if that's what he's doing he wouldn't want to be disturbed.'  
  
"ACHOOOOO!!!!" he heard someone sneezed, along with the sound of what would have been a whole lot of books falling down the floor.  
  
"SHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!" almost everybody in the room said. He then looked to see who it was. He found Hikaru behind him, her hand on her mouth, looking very embarrassed. He also found 3 encyclopedias and 2 dictionaries lying on the floor in front of her.  
  
He almost laughed out loud, but caught himself before doing so. He just decided to help her out. He walked towards her and helped her gather the mess. "Where would you want to put these?" he said in a half-whisper.  
  
"I was just on the way of returning them sempai," she answered him.  
  
"ACHOO!!!" It was Eagle's turn to sneeze and be hushed. This time, he couldn't help himself from laughing, Hikaru joining him.  
  
When he realized what they had done, it was already too late. The librarian was already in front of them. After hitting both of them on the head with a fan, the librarian told them to get out of the library, in a low voice of course.  
  
Once outside, both of them started laughing loudly. When he stopped laughing, he found himself staring into Hikaru's smiling face. 'She looks so cheerful.No wonder Lantis is captivated by her.' "Hey Hikaru-chan."  
  
"Yes sempai?"  
  
"Where are you going to after this?"  
  
"Home sempai."  
  
"I see."  
  
"By the way, thanks for helping me." as usual, she rummaged through her pockets for a piece of candy to give, but alas, there wasn't a piece inside.  
  
"What? No candies?" Eagle said pretending to pout.  
  
"Sorry sempai."  
  
"Haha, its ok really," Eagle told her.  
  
"But I owe you a favor."  
  
"Hmm.actually, there's something you can help me with."  
  
"What is it sempai?"  
  
"There's a new café down the street that serves great cakes with their tea. And it would be pretty boring if I go alone."  
  
".But I don't have money sempai."  
  
"Who said about you spending money? It's my treat Hikaru-chan. I just need company that's all. So, would you acknowledge my request? Unless of course, a boyfriend would be jealous."  
  
"Oh no, sempai! I don't have a boyfriend!"  
  
"So it's a yes then?"  
  
"Well, ok."  
  
"Good, let's go!" He quickly took Hikaru's hand and then ran towards the school exit. "Just think of it as a date Hikaru-chan," he said winking at her. He then saw her blush instantly. "Hehe.just kidding."  
  
* * *  
  
Fuu and Ferio are sitting on the living room of the Huouji residence. Looking at the Ferio's long quiz results, it seemed that he is getting much better. "I can't believe I passed this one Fuu-chan."  
  
"It's because you are persevering Ferio-san," Fuu said, smiling at him.  
  
"Hey, how about we celebrate huh? Come on, it's my treat. Let's just say that this is my way to give you thanks."  
  
"Well.you really don't have to."  
  
"I want to. Please???" Ferio said.  
  
"Oh all right."  
  
* * *  
  
Alcyone had noticed Zagato had been acting strange lately. He is now more cheerful.it would have made her happy. But it didn't because she knew that it was because of Emaraude. Since then, Alcyone had been thinking of what to do to get rid of her competition to Zagato's heart. She had figured that it would be better to get to know her enemy first. And to be able to do that, she have to befriend her. It would really be hard for her to do so; the sight of Emeraude makes her puke with disgust. Yet, she has to do it, it would be worth it in the long run. Who knows, she might uncover a skeleton in Emeraude's closet.  
  
She smiled and silently congratulated herself for being clever. Emeraude looks too nice. too trusting. The perfect victim. 'When I am through with her, she wouldn't know what had hit her.'  
  
She saw Emeraude walking down the corridor and decided to make her move. It didn't seem as if Emeraude saw her yet. Perfect.just perfect. She put her hands on her face and then pretended to cry. "Miss Vidal!" she heard Emeraude gasped. "What is wrong?"  
  
Tears were actually falling down her face now. Rubbing her eyes repeatedly did the trick. "Nothing Miss Vendeli."  
  
"Please tell me, maybe I can help."  
  
"I don't want to bother you with my personal problems."  
  
"I want to help you."  
  
"I saw my boyfriend flirting with another girl.and I." she started sobbing.  
  
"Aww, Miss Vidal." Emeraude said hugging her. Alcyone thought she would laugh out loud. She pretended to sob louder instead.  
  
'I hate you! I hate you more than anyone else in the world! And you are going to pay.' * * *  
  
'Here he is again.' Caldina giggled as she hid near the stairs. She went two steps up and waited until Lafarga is almost in front of her. She pretended to trip, which is very dangerous, but as a dancer, she knows everything about the right timing. She ended up, as she had planned, in Lafarga's arms.  
  
"Oh my! That was really close." Caldina told him. "Thanks honey, you're my hero," she added, batting her eyelashes.  
  
Lafarga blushed and stammered, "Ju-just be ca-careful next time, Miss Odoriko."  
  
"Call me Caldina, honey."  
  
"Yes Caldina."  
  
"You can put me down now." Caldina said. "Thanks honey." She gave her a quick kiss on his cheek. She left him frozen at his place. When she was far away, she giggled and said out loud, "I can't believe I did that!!!" 


	10. Sefiro High Chapter 10

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Waaaaahhh!!!! The format had gotten abooboo again!!!! Stupit upload! The last chapter was really short. I think it's because I was too sleepy to think of anything else. Hehehehehe. Oh and about the Umi-fluffy part…me planning to write it as a flashback…me gonna write it now actually. Hehehe…anyway…READ READ READ!!!!!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

          Umi is walking happily with her friends. She's carrying two lunchboxes on her hand. She had decided to thank Clef by making him lunch today. The only thing making her nervous now is giving it to him. 

          "Don't worry Umi-chan, he'll take it," Hikaru said.

          "I really hope so…Anyway if he doesn't we'll just share it all together ne?"

          "…But we have lots to eat already…"

          "…I know…Oh well, let's hope that he eats this one…" She sighed. 'I really hope so…' she said as she remembered what had happened last Friday…

          *                                     *                                              *

_          "All of the ingredients are here already," Umi said cheerfully. She is feeling better now. Clef had been very nice to accompany her, and she is really having a good time. _

_          "How many cakes do you have to bake that you seem to have bought the whole store?" Clef complained, carrying 2 big grocery bags._

_          "Hey! You did offer to help you know."_

_          "Of course I know! You haven't been failing to remind me every 5 minutes!"_

_Umi giggled. "What now?"_

_          "Nothing…You just can't help being too grumpy huh?"_

_          "Whatever!" Clef told her scowling. "…Don't tell me I have to carry this to your place…"_

_          Umi giggled again. "Wait here, I'm going to call my driver."_

_          "What happened to those cute little cellular phones girls should be carrying around and stuff?"_

_          "I forgot to bring it…now stay put." Umi was about to go when they heard their stomachs growl at the same time. "Hehe…I think that means we'd better go eat first."_

_          "But in one condition…"_

_          "What?"_

_          "My treat?"_

_          "Okay…I have this certain craving for pasta…"_

_          "Me too…"_

_          "Lets go?" Clef nodded. They headed to a nice yet classy Italian restaurant a few blocks away. "I didn't know you're very classy Clef…"_

_          "Huh?"_

_          "What do you like most of this place? Was it the service? The ambiance?" _

_          "Oh, I just don't like noise too much…"_

_          A sweat drop appeared on Umi's forehead. "Oh okay…"_

_          There was silence between them while they ate. "Oi…" Clef finally said after they had finished. _

_          "Yes?"_

_          "You really okay now?"_

_          Umi nodded. Clef had been really nice to her. She started crying again. "I really can't thank you enough."_

_          "What now? Hey, stop that! Come on! I thought I was doing a good job cheering you up you know!"_

_          "You are…"_

_          "Well, then stop crying ok?" Clef took his handkerchief from his pocket and wiped Umi's tears. "Why are you crying this time?"_

_          "…It's just that your so good to me and…"_

_          "You're crying because I am being good to you? I really can't understand women…Aww…Come on…Stop crying now, please?"_

_          Umi nodded and then took the handkerchief from Clef's hands to wipe the tears off her face herself. _

_          "Good. Now go give me a favor and go to the women's room to freshen up. Powder your nose or something…Retouch your make-up or whatever…Just don't let me have to see that 'just-cried' look on your face…Man, I do hate to see women cry…"_

_          "How can I be sure you won't run away and leave me here to pay the bill?" she told him with a smile on her face._

_          "For a beautiful girl, Umi-chan, you have a lousy sense of humor…Now just shut up and go…and call that driver of yours while you're at it!"_

_          She left him as he called for the waiter and paid their bill. She followed what he told him and then came back looking fresh and cheery. Somehow, him calling her "beautiful" added up to her cheerfulness. She didn't also forget the fact that he had finally used her nickname. She flashed him her most charming smile as she said, "The driver will be here in 10 minutes."_

_          "You brought your face powder but forgot your mobile phone. How practical!" _

_          "Hey at least you won't have to see me looking too miserable," Umi said._

_          "Admit it, your just too sassy." Umi laughed. Looking very serious, Clef told her, "…Kidding aside, seem to be really okay now…I'm really glad."_

_          "If it wasn't for you I would be still in that park feeling miserable for myself."_

_          "I just don't want to see a woman crying that's all…"_

_          "Yeah, you've told me that a couple of times. If you have nothing to do tomorrow, you can go to my place for tea."_

_          "Nah, I have a prior engagement for tomorrow afternoon."_

_          "I see…"she said sounding very disappointed._

_          "Maybe next time…"_

_          "Yeah…"        _

_          *                                              *                                              *_

"There they are!" she heard Hikaru say. She looked at the direction where Hikaru is pointing and saw Clef and Ascot. She walked hurriedly to them, leaving her friends a few paces behind her. 'So now I can thank him properly…' 

She was almost halfway there but was stopped short from her tracks when she saw a girl with long brown-blond hair running towards Clef, waving her hands at the two boys. She saw the girl give a lunch box to Clef. She saw Clef smile and scratch his head. 'He does sure like an idiot,' she told herself. She then remembered the extra lunchbox she's carrying and felt really disappointed. She was about to turn around and walk away when she heard him calling her, " Well if isn't Miss Sassy!"

"Hello old man," she said. It wasn't long until the two boys were with her already. "Hi Ascot."

"Hello Umi," Ascot said, blushing.

"What's that? Extra lunchbox? You must watch your weight Umi-chan, or you'll get really fat."

"Actually I was planning to give it to Ascot here."

"Reaallly??? For me???" 

"Why would you give him that?"

"Why not? He's been awfully nice to me since day one so I decided to give him obento."

"Waaaahhh!!! Thanks a lot Umi-chan!!!!!" Ascot said, teary-eyed.

"Hmph! Whatever!" Clef said.

"Umi-chan! What happened? Why did…" 

Before Hikaru would spill the beans Umi cut her short. "Well nothing happened Hikaru, I just gave Ascot 'his' obento." She made sure that she emphasized the word 'his'. "Let's go now?" And then turning to the boys, "Eat well! And oh, Ascot… the fried prawns are really delicious." She turned around, took her friends' hands and walked away. She made sure not look back at the two boys, especially at Clef. 

"Ne, Umi-chan…"

"Yes Hikaru-chan?"

"Why is it that you gave the lunch box to Ascot?"

"Well because someone had already gave Clef obento. And it's such a shame for food to go to waste right?"

"…But you really worked hard for that…"

"I know Hikaru, that's why its better that it won't go to waste ne?"

"Umi-san…"

"Yes Fuu-chan…"

"Are you going to make him lunch again?"

"I don't know Fuu-chan…" Umi answered. Held tightly on her hand, was Clef's handkerchief she forgot to return to him.

*                                              *                                     *


	11. Sefiro High Chapter 11

AUTHOR'S NOTES: WAAAAAAHHHH! Am the most unlucky girl in the whole world!!! Me motherboard got abooboo and now I have to wait fer a week or so to have mine replaced. Soooo I won't be able to update this stuff as often as I used to fer a week. Anyway, bear wiff me? Fanks!  
  
"So did you like what I did to your car, sempai?" Zazu asked the silver-haired senior beside him.  
  
"I like it a lot, " the senior said giving him a smile. "FTO had been running faster and smoother since then." Patting the hood of the racecar beside him.  
  
"Of course! I'm a genius!" Zazu said proudly. ".And I am very honored to work for the youngest racer in the whole Japan.the best too!"  
  
Eagle Vision laughed and ruffled Zazu's hair. "From now own, you're going to be my personal mechanic."  
  
Zazu beamed. "Thank you sempai!"  
  
"Oi.by the way. You're Hikaru Shidou's classmate aren't you?"  
  
"Yes sempai."  
  
"How well do you know her?"  
  
"Well enough, sempai. We had been classmates since kindergarten."  
  
"Sou ka."  
  
* * *  
  
Fuu and Ferio had been walking towards Fuu's house when they passed by the flower shop. "Hmm.can you wait for a second?" Ferio told her.  
  
Fuu nodded. He hurriedly ran inside the shop and bought a huge bouquet of red roses. When he returned, he handed the flower to the girl. "This is for the quiz I had passed today."  
  
"Why, thank you Ferio-san," Fuu said blushing.  
  
"Hehe, it's nothing. It's a way of thanking you on my part."  
  
"Demo, you don't really have to give me gifts."  
  
"I know.I just want to." Ferio told her seriously. "Besides." The color of his cheeks is starting turn to a shade of pink.  
  
"Besides what Ferio-san?"  
  
"Weellll..nothing."  
  
"Oh okay." All of the sudden, light drizzle started to fall from the sky. Knowing both of them hadn't brought umbrellas, Ferio took Fuu's hand and they started to run. 'His hands are so warm.' Fuu thought, and then started to blush. 'What are you thinking?' she scolded herself. They had managed to return to Fuu's house before the heavy rain fell. "That was really close, Ferio-san."  
  
"It shouldn't be raining yet at this time of the year." Ferio said.  
  
"I agree.Anyway, let's start with today's lesson?" She caught Ferio staring at her. "Something wrong, Ferio-san?"  
  
"Nothing." Ferio answered. 'You just look so beautiful, that's all.'  
  
"You don't look good Ferio-san, are you sick?" she said as she starts to her hand on his forehead to feel his temperature.  
  
Before her hand could even reach his forehead, Ferio backed away. "I'm really fine."  
  
Fuu blushed, looking very embarrassed. "I'm sorry, I was just trying to see if you have fever."  
  
"No, I'm fine. Thank you Fuu. You're always trying to help me out. You've become like an angel to me."  
  
"Ferio-san." An angel.he called her his angel? 'No he just compared you to one. Don't make a big deal out of it Fuu!' she scolded herself again. "Well if you're sure you're okay, we can start today's lessons?" she said, trying to change the topic.  
  
* * *  
  
Kendo practice had just been over. The players had just finished changing into their regular school uniforms. Hikaru was just about to leave when Lantis called her. "Hikaru-san."  
  
"Yes sempai?"  
  
"You should be aware that you are the best kendoist among your peers. The Inter-High Kendo competition is coming and I want you to be the one to represent our school in the women's category."  
  
Hikaru nodded. "Yes sempai. Is there anything else sempai?"  
  
"Yes.well.no.not really.Are you on you're way home now?"  
  
"Yes sempai."  
  
"I'll walk you home."  
  
He made it sound like a direct order, even though he didn't mean it to be that way. He had wanted to ask her if he could---not tell her he would. 'Idiot,' he said to himself.  
  
He had been dreaming of this crimson-haired girl since he met her. He doesn't know what it means but it seems as if he always wanted to see her. And every time he looks straight to her eyes he seems to be frozen in place, his heart starts to start beating like crazy, and he feels so warm and cold all over at the same time.  
  
He was surprised when Hikaru nodded her head and then smiled. "Why not? We're friends now after all. You, me and Eagle-sempai."  
  
He nodded. 'Eagle.' He remembered when Eagle told him that he is going to court this girl beside him. He felt a pang of jealousy but decided to ignore it. He also felt the same when Eagle told him about the library- incident. His friend asked him if it was okay. He did not answer of course. Eagle is his best-friend and they both knew that a woman won't ruin the friendship they share. They have always been engaged in some friendly competition even when they were young. And even if they haven't talked about it, the situation of them liking the same girl is the same thing. 'May the best man win.' It had always been that way between them. There will never be hard feelings for the winner.  
  
His deep thoughts had been interrupted by a certain growl coming from Hikaru's stomach. He saw the crimson girl blushed with embarrassment. He found himself grin, which even to him seemed to be unusual. "Would you like something to eat Hikaru-san?"  
  
"Anou.." Hikaru mumbled scratching her head.  
  
"I am also hungry myself."  
  
"Demo.I."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I gave all my money to the beggar this morning."  
  
'How like her.' "Don't worry Hikaru-san. We're friends right? It's my treat."  
  
"Demo."  
  
"Actually I want to ask you a favor."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"You do know that I have Primera chasing over me all over school.even out."  
  
Hikaru nodded.  
  
"I have not always been comfortable having a female friend but I am very comfortable with you."  
  
Hikaru nodded again.  
  
"Can you pose as my girlfriend?"  
  
"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT?"  
  
"Never mind that was stupid."  
  
'He seemed to be very desperate to ask that.' Hikaru thought. She found herself saying, "For how long?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"For how long will this last?"  
  
Lantis shrugged. 'How did this conversation even took place anyway???'  
  
"Alright."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"We're friends anyway." Hikaru said smiling. Their conversation was cut short with the certain grumbling in her stomach.  
  
"You are going to eat with me."  
  
* * * 


	12. Sefiro High Chapter 12

AUTHOR'S NOTES: ^%^&^ PC!!! I'm going mad!!!!  
  
The next day, Hikaru was very surprised when she saw Lantis waiting for her a few blocks away from her house. He gave her one of his unusual smiles and then approached her.  
  
"Good morning Hikaru-chan," he greeted her.  
  
"Sempai..."  
  
"I think we had talked about the -sempai thing."  
  
"Lantis-kun..."  
  
"Give me your bag..."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"I'll carry your bag for you."  
  
"Oh...but why?"  
  
"It's quite necessary for our... little charade..."  
  
"We don't really have to do this now sempai...nobody is looking anyway."  
  
"Hmmm?"  
  
"I mean Lantis-kun."  
  
"It would be quite an entrance when we enter the school today don't you think?"  
  
'What the heck? You did agree to help him anyway...' Hikaru told herself, she nodded and then quickly took Lantis' hand. It was Lantis' turn to be surprised. Yet the look of surprise in his face faded when she smiled at him. He grinned. 'If only he would smile a lot...I must admit, he is very handsome.' She blushed a little when she had realized what she had been thinking. "You think this would work?"  
  
Lantis shrugged. "We're near at the gate already. Are you nervous?"  
  
"Kind of..."  
  
"Don't worry, I'm here..." he said, squeezing her hand. "I'll walk you to your classroom. I hope you won't mind..."  
  
Hikaru shook her head. "No, I really don't, se- Lantis-kun."  
  
The moment they stepped in the school gates, Hikaru felt almost everybody staring at them. She tried not to blush and to act as if it was normal. She looked up at Lantis' face and what she saw made her face not only red, but almost purple. He was looking at her with loving eyes. She felt her heartbeat quicken.  
  
They were holding hands until they reached Hikaru's room. "I'll see you at lunch?"  
  
Hikaru nodded.  
  
Lantis smiled and handed Hikaru her bag. "I prefer you won't tell anybody what we had talked about yesterday, even to your friends...But you can if you think you can trust them," he whispered to her ear.  
  
Hikaru nodded again. "See you at lunch, Lantis-kun," she said in a voice loud enough for others to hear. She watched him as he walked away until he was out of her sight. She took a deep breath and then entered her room. Everybody was staring at her.  
  
"What was that all about?" Umi asked her.  
  
"I'll tell you later. But for now..." she stopped talking when she saw Primera's angry glare as the girl approached her.  
  
"YOU FLIRT!!!!"  
  
"Primera..."  
  
"I was right! You were trying to take Lantis-sama away from me...Get away from him I tell you!!!"  
  
"I can't..."  
  
"What do you mean, you can't?"  
  
"He asked and...I...I've agreed to be his girlfriend yesterday. I'm really sorry Primera..." it took all her willpower for her to say those words. She didn't want to hurt this girl but she had already promised Lantis...  
  
Primera was about to slap her when Emeraude entered the classroom. "What's going on here?"  
  
* * *  
  
"Man! Lantis! I had never thought..." Geo said. "Wow! Lantis has a girlfriend!!! I just can't believe it."  
  
"I can't either..." Lantis mumbled.  
  
"So you made her say "yes" huh?" Eagle said. Lantis could trace a touch of sadness in his voice.  
  
"Actually...I'll tell you something later," he found himself telling Eagle. "But for now. I have to meet my girlfriend..."  
  
"Can I come with you? I want to congratulate you both," Eagle said.  
  
"Sure why not?"  
  
They met Hikaru half-way. She was carrying 2 lunchboxes. The small one was for herself and the other was for Lantis. "Lantis-kun, I brought you your lunch."  
  
"That's very sweet of you Hikaru-chan."  
  
"Ehem..."  
  
"Hi Eagle-sempai!"  
  
"Hi Hikaru-chan."  
  
"I have to congratulate you both..."  
  
Hikaru giggled at the same time as Lantis grinned at him, slapping Eagle's shoulder. "That us what I was supposed to tell you..."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"We're just pretending to be a couple..."  
  
"What???"  
  
"Almost fooled you too huh?" Hikaru said.  
  
"So I can still court you right?" Eagle asked winking at Hikaru.  
  
"You definitely cannot!!!" Lantis snapped at him. Suddenly aware of his reaction, he said, "You'll ruin our charade."  
  
"I was just kidding."  
  
"You should be."  
  
"Have you told anybody yet?"  
  
"No..."  
  
"Did Primera gave you a hard time?"  
  
"Well..."  
  
"She did...didn't she..."  
  
"She almost slapped me...But I do know she didn't mean it!"  
  
"Well, you should be aware that there are also lots of girls who would be very angry at you..." Eagle informed her. "Primera isn't the only Lantis-fan you know." 


	13. Sefiro High Chapter 13

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Just one thing: am going NUTS!!!! 

          A month had passed since the beginning of the school year. The freshmen had already gotten used to their new surroundings and new classmates. Class groups had already been assigned and they had started to bond with their classmates, calling them in their nicknames. 

It had also been exactly 4 days since Lantis had asked Hikaru the favor. Since then, she had been receiving envious glares from certain schoolgirls from different year levels. The knowledge that she is a martial-artist must have saved her from being physically harassed by these girls.

Primera still haven't given up on Lantis. She can still be seen around school looking for her "Lantis-sama", popping out of nowhere, wrapping her arms around him, and glaring at Hikaru. Hikaru had actually scolded Lantis when the guy, out of impatience, shouted at Primera. 

Eagle had been very helpful and supportive however. He had been giving them more ideas to make Hikaru and Lantis' relationship very believable. He had even set a timetable for the date they had planned to have this Saturday. He had insisted that dating would be necessary, since they should be always seen together and that they should also go to places that schoolmates would likely go during weekends. 

Lantis had been extra-sweet to her. It's a wonder how a guy like him is capable of being that sweet. He'd meet her every morning and they'd walk to school together. She noticed he had been smiling more often now, and had been grinning, even laughing sometimes. He had the habit of giving her sweets or little cakes. He'd pick her up after class and they'd head to Kendo practice, if there is any, together, or, he'd walk her home. Sometimes, they would have snacks along the way. 

This time, Eagle is walking home with them. The three is eating ice cream at the ice cream shop in front of their school. "You know guys, besides the date stuff, you're good at this pretend-thing."

"How'd you say that?" Hikaru asked him.

"Well, he has this 'I adore this girl'- look in his eyes everytime he looks at you. And well, the holding-hands thing is just so natural."

Eagle chuckled when he saw Lantis and Hikaru's faces went red at the same time. "See, you even blush at the same time!"

"You do enjoy teasing us don't you?" Lantis said.

"I'm just amusing myself until I get to court Hikaru."

          "Stop joking like that," Hikaru told him.

          "Me? Joking? I'm serious," Eagle told them with a smirk.

          "Whatever," Lantis murmured.

          "Ok, fine I'm joking."

          "Much better."

"Jealous Lantis?"

"Oh shuttup and eat your ice cream."

*                                              *                                              *

Kakeru had of course, found out about her sister's relationship with the school heartthrob. After thinking about it, he had decided to keep quiet and observe for a while, not reporting this to the older Shidou siblings. He knew that if he had told their brothers, it would be trouble. Deep inside, he is quite proud of his sister. She had been able to catch the attention of the most insensitive guy in the whole school, not to mention most popular and most attractive. He just wondered how his older brothers would react once they learned of this. He had this picture of his brothers marching to school armed with wooden swords…not a pretty sight…He can't blame them of course, he have this urge to give the rascal a lesson himself.

As if by fate, Kakeru met his sister along with the rascal on his way home. Seeing "the great" Lantis Kyle Sol had him wanting to seize the guy by his collar and threaten him. The pleading look in Hikaru's eyes made him change his mind. He nodded at him and at his friend. He then turned to Hikaru and said, "Would you like to introduce him to me, sis? I am you're older brother after all…"

"E-eto…" Hikaru stammered. 

"Pleased to meet you, I am Lantis Kyle Sol," Lantis said immediately, as if saving Hikaru from the embarrassment of introducing him, even if it makes him arrogant. He did not do the usual Japanese bow; instead he offered Kakeru his hand, a sign of an offer of friendship to an equal.  

'Looks like he's not that much of a jerk I thought he was after all…' Kakeru thought. Kakeru made up his mind, he like this guy's guts. He accepted the handshake. "Well of course I do know you Lantis-kun. I just wanted to hear my sister introduce you as her boyfriend," he said with a smile. He caught Hikaru blush at the corner of his eye. "You don't mind me calling you that don't you?" After hearing Lantis' reply, he said, "Good! You can call me by my name Kakeru."

"Very well then, Kakeru-kun. By the way, this is our friend Eagle Vision," Lantis said referring to the silver-haired young man beside him. 

"Of course! I am very pleased to meet you Mr. Vision. My older brother is a fan of yours. Can I have your autograph?"

Hikaru face faulted after hearing what her brother just said. "Brother!!!"

"Hehehe…maybe some other time…" Kakeru said scratching his head.

"Yes, there will be plenty of time for that…" Eagle said. "I can give you free tickets to the next race also…maybe next time we meet? And do please call me Eagle. Mr. Vision makes me sound so old."

Kakeru nodded. "I'm going ahead, sis. You can stay a little bit late if you want Hikaru-chan." After walking a few steps away from them, he turned around and then told Lantis, "Oi…You know what will happen to you if you hurt my sister." Lantis nodded. "And oh, before I forget…she's our baby, so don't expect that my brothers would let you on easily." 

*                                              *                                              *

"Phew!" Eagle said. "I should keep that in mind!" saying that made him receive another death-glare from Lantis. "What???"

"Now you're in trouble too Lantis-kun," Hikaru murmured. "My brothers do care about me a lot. When they found out about this it's going to be trouble."

"We're even then. You have problems with Primera and I have problems with your brothers."

"Geo told me something interesting," Eagle said.

"Oh yeah?"

"Kakeru told him that the one who would get their approval will have to beat all of them in kendo."

"Hikaru…"

"Yes Lantis-kun?"

"Have you beaten any of your brothers?"

"Well…yes…"

"Who?"

"Actually all of them…"

"I think we both need extra practice sessions."

*                                     *                                     *

Zagato sat on the sofa, waiting for his brother to come home. One would call their home a mansion than a house. The interior had been decorated with antiques, not only found in Japan but also out of the country. It is very obvious that the ones who live in it are filthy rich. Zagato made a huge profit from the school. He did a good job not only in saving the school from bankruptcy but also in making it the most famous school in the whole country. The students there, if not very rich, are students with exceptional talents. 

He had found out that his brother had been having a relationship with one of the freshmen, Hikaru Shidou, the daughter of the most famous Kendo master in the whole country.  He wouldn't want to intervene, he just want to hear from his own ears if it was true. His brother had always troubled him, since Lantis haven't showed any interest on girls up until now.

"Tadaima."

"Welcome home Lantis."

"You have been waiting for me. What do you want to ask me?"

"You know me so well."

"Yes I do."

"Then you must know what I was going to ask you."

"Oh yes, the rumor between Hikaru-chan and me."

"Then it must be true?"

Lantis nodded. "I know this news relieves you. You had been worried that I have not showed interest in the opposite sex. Not that I prefer men either…" Lantis grinned.

Zagato raised his eyebrow; his brother seemed to be getting more cheerful these days. "You love this girl?"

Lantis didn't answer. 

"The courtship didn't last that long I heard."

"I don't like waiting brother. I am not like you. I wouldn't want to regret that I lost her because I waited too long. I don't want the same thing to happen to me…"


	14. Sefiro High Chapter 14

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Yey!!! People still wuv me workies!!!! !!!! I dunno where to put Aska and co. they're too young to be studying or working in a high school. Am still thinking…

          Emeraude and Ferio had managed to spend some time together once in a while. The closeness they once had years ago had come back and both had learned to tell each other their secrets.  Emeraude thought that this is the time that she should tell her brother about her son.

          It was Saturday afternoon when Emeraude picked Ferio up. "Where are we going?"

          "I want you to meet my son…"

          "Wha—your son?" Emeraude nodded and they headed to the cemetery in Chiba, a prefecture not too far from the city of Tokyo. "So how old is he?"

          "Hmm…5 years old…"

          "I didn't know that you got married."

          "I didn't."

          "Oh…"

          There was silence between them until they reached their destination. "Here we are…"

          "You're kidding right?"

          "No, I am not."

          "Well, I must admit, it's quite an odd place to meet someone, especially a child." Emeraude smiled. "Wait a minute… he isn't dead, is he?"

          "He's buried over here…" Emeraude told him, pointing at the stone slab just left of them. "I named him after our father. He was dead when I gave birth to him."

          "Franco Vendeli Sol," Ferio read out loud. "Sol? Is the father a relative of the headmaster?"

          "He is the father of my child."

          "Why that…"

          "No, don't. It was I who left him as soon as I found out. He would have married me right away, if he knew. But I didn't want to be an additional burden. Us being so young, and he having a lot of problems…I love him so much you know…"

          Ferio nodded. "I still think that was crazy."

          "Maybe it was…But it seemed to be the most sane decision I can make up at that time."

          *                                              *                                              *

          Kuu looked at her sister hum happily as she did the cooking. She noticed that Fuu had been quite cheerful lately and something had changed in her that Kuu just couldn't specifically point out.

          She realized that she haven't had those long talks with her sister for quite sometime. She had been busy with her university studies after all – she suddenly felt guilty. She had promised herself that she would never be too busy when it comes to her sister and yet…

          She made tea for herself and then sat on the kitchen table, just a few steps away where Fuu is slicing vegetables.

          "Hey sis…"

          "Yes, onee-san?"

          "How's school?"

          "It's great!" Fuu said, flashing her a smile. "How about you?"

          "Tiring, but fun…I bet you've got a lot of friends already."

          "Well, most of my classmates are my friends. I am very close to 2 of them though. I have told you about them…Hikaru and Umi."

          Kuu nodded. "Yes, you have…How about that boy that comes over here? What's his name again?"

          "F-Ferio…" Fuu stammered, blushing.

          'So that's it!' Kuu told herself. "Yes, Ferio…"

          "Well, I'm pretty close with him too… not as close as I am with Hikaru and Umi though. He's at the same club as mine and we belong at the same class-group too."

          "He seemed to be courting you too…"

          "NO!…I mean, the flowers are just his way of thanking me in helping him out…"

          "What flowers?"

          "Oh, weren't they the reason why you asked?"

          "No…I haven't really noticed those until you pointed it out."

          "I see…He gives me everytime he passes his quiz. He's not that good at Science and Math and I've been helping him out and all…"

          "Do you like him?" 

          "Ouch!"

          Kuu decided to stop asking her sister anything anymore, especially if Fuu had a bleeding finger by accidentally cutting herself. Kuu wondered if her sister's carelessness had something to do with the question she asked her.

          *                                              *                                              *

          Masaru gave a loud wolf-whistle, Kakeru's mouth hung open, and Satoru ran towards Hikaru as soon as she came out of her room.

          Their little tomboy seemed to have disappeared and had been replaced by a very beautiful and attractive young lady.

          Hikaru had decided to let her hair down for now. With its wavy appearance and its length that flows up to her upper thighs, it looked like a mermaid's. 

          "Miss, have you seen my sister somewhere?" Masaru joked.

          "WAAAHHHHHHHH!!!" Satoru wailed, hugging his sister very tight and crying like a child. "You're so beautiful!!!!! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!! I feel like I'm loosing my baby!!!"

          "Cut that out bro!" Kakeru said.

          "*sniff* My baby girl…" Satoru said as he let his sister go. He's still crying though.

          Kakeru sighed and rolled his eyes. "You look like a jerk onii-san!"

          "Shut up! You have no respect to your elders!"

          'As if you do look respectful,' Kakeru said to himself. "You do look good sis. Run along now, or you'll be late." He then winked at Hikaru.

          Hikaru was about to leave until… "Wait! Where are you going?" Masaru asked.

          "Yeah sis, where are you going?"

"A-anou…I'm going to meet someone at the park and then…you know…uhm…"

          "Who are you going to meet there?"

          "A friend of hers of course! Geez you two!"

          "You're too beautiful that its not safe for you…maybe we should go with you…" Satoru said.

          "WHA---!!! NO!!!" 

          "Don't shout sis…it doesn't suit your ladylike look."

          "Hey! Don't you trust our sister? And besides, she's a big girl now, she can take care of herself."

          "Oh alright… Don't let us keep you…"

          "You are keeping her."

          "Shut up Kakeru."

          "Anyway sis, your friend must be waiting for you. See you later!"

          Hikaru was already gone when Satoru remembered to ask if her friend was a boy or a girl.


	15. Sefiro High Chapter 15

          "Lantis-kun!" she called out to him. Lantis spotted her running towards him, and waving her hand. He had to rub his eyes to make sure it was her. She just looked so---- beautiful. "Did I make you wait too long?"

          "No Hikaru-chan."

          "My brothers wanted to go with me, can you imagine that? Anyway, Kakeru did convince them not to…"

          "Good for you."

          "No, good for _you_. They would have beaten you up…"

          "Oh, I think that wouldn't be too easy…By the way, I have something for you…"

          "Hmm? You really shouldn't have bothered…You always give me stuff…"

          "I like giving you stuff," Lantis said as he handed her a cellular phone.

          "Uh…I don't think I can accept this…"

          "You should, or I'll be really upset."

          "Well it really looks expensive…"

          "The more you should accept it. If you don't I just have to throw it away…"

          "But…"

          "Please…"

          "Oh alright."

          "I noticed you don't have one. At least this way you can be contacted anytime."

          "This is just too much…"

          "My contact numbers are saved there already. Oh and don't worry about the bills, I'll pay for it."

          "Pay for the bills! But…"

          "No more 'but's. Just say, 'Thank you, Lantis-kun,' and I'll be…" he was caught off-guard when Hikaru wrapped her arms around him. 

          "Thanks a lot Lantis-kun! You've been so nice to me eversince we've met!"

          "Got any candies?" The statement made Hikaru blink and laugh. "You look really beautiful Hikaru," Lantis said with seriousness in his voice.

          "Thanks…"

          "So, where'll we go?"

          Hikaru took out a piece of paper from her shoulder bad and then said, "Well, according to this we should head to the theme park."

          "Ok."

          "Let's hurry before we miss the bus."

          "We can always use my car," Lantis said as he led her to the parked Ferrari not far from where they were.

          "Sugoiiiiiii!!! This is yours?"

          Lantis nodded. "Bro gave me this for my 18th birthday. Eagle taught me how to drive. And yes, I do have a driver's license."

          "You never brought this to school."

          "And I never will. Besides, I only use this when I go out in far distances. I always prefer my ever-dependable motorcycle over this though. Anyway, if I had brought that instead, you wouldn't be comfortable."

          "You know, even if you don't look like it, you are a really caring person."

          "You think so?"

          Hikaru nodded. "If you had a little sister she'd be very lucky."

          "If I had a little sister she'd be bored with me."

          "Not so! You're not boring at all! The truth is I really like being with you…" Hikaru suddenly bit her lip 'You really do talk to much Hikaru-baka,' she scolded herself.

          "I like being with you too…"

          "Ah… ahehehehe…" Hikaru laughed nervously. "Maybe that's why we've became really good friends…"

          "Is that what you really think, Hikaru-chan?"

          "Anou, Lantis-kun…" 

          "Hmm?"

          "How does it feel to be chased by girls and all?"

          Lantis, well aware that Hikaru was trying to change the topic, decided to answer the question. "Irritating…"

          "You're not flattered? Even a little bit?"     

          "No. I don't like girls who chase boys."

          "You really are something…I mean if my boyfriend would be like you I don't have to worry about girls taking you away from me…"

          "I am your boyfriend now right?" Lantis said, winking at her.

          "Aww, you do know what I mean…"

          "Right…Anyway, we're here…"

          *                                              *                                              *

          Umi sighed as she turned off the tv. "I wonder how's Hikaru's date is going?" She got up from her bed and stated changing. There are two things that can break her boredom: shopping and baking. Since there are no ingredients for baking anything in the kitchen she decided to shop instead. 

          "Mayumi! Mayumi!" she called out. 

          The housekeeper ran to her as soon as she heard her mistress call. "Yes Miss Umi?"

          "Tell the driver to get the car ready. I'm going shopping."

          "Yes miss."

          After a few minutes, the housekeeper informed her that the driver is ready to go. "You can leave me at the mall. I'll just ride a taxi home," she informed the driver.

          She was surprised from the easy traffic, which is very unlikely at the weekends, she was glad nevertheless. As soon as she entered the mall, she saw Clef. She was about to approach him when she saw the same brown-blond woman who gave Clef lunch a week before.  "Why does she have to be there at all?"

          She decided to turn around before Clef would notice she was there. She had thought she had gotten away until she heard a familiar voice call her. "Umi-chan!"

She looked to where the voice came from and saw Ascot running towards her. After a few deep breaths he asked, "What are you doing here?"

          "I was bored so I decided to go shopping."

          "Alone?"

          "Yeah, Hikaru has this date with her senior boyfriend and its Fuu's turn in the house chores."

          "You can join us if you like," Ascot said, blushing.

          "Uh…who?"

          "Well, me and Clef, and a friend of ours, Presea. Come, I'll introduce you to her."

          'This really must be my lucky day,' Umi told herself.

          "Let's go?"

          "Oh alright…"

          "Well, well, well, hello Miss Sassy!" Clef greeted her with a smirk.

          "Hi old man."

          "By the way, Umi-chan, this is Presea Mason."

          "Nice to meet you, Ryuuzaki-san."

          "Umi would be fine."

          "I'm glad you came really…these guys can't understand the art of shopping at all!" Presea told her.

          "What I can't understand is why you girls have to walk around all the time just to buy one article of clothing," Clef said.

          "We've been really friends since elementary so we three are pretty close," Ascot informed her.  
          "Oh really…"

          "Let's go! Let's go! I saw this nice skirt that I wanted to buy and I want you're opinion…these guy's are hopeless…" Presea said taking her hand. Umi realized that she couldn't help liking the girl even if she didn't want to. She also realized that the reason why she didn't want to is because she was jealous. 


	16. Sefiro High Chapter 16

 AUTHOR'S NOTE: To all who put my story on their Favorite Stories List thanks a whole lot. *sniff* I wuv u all *sniff*!!! I had an author's block for a while and then an idea hit me…A songfic (well kinda like that) within a chapter (???) Whatever! I'm really gonna get it this time…please be easy on me!!! It's my first try for this kind of stuff. *gets jittery*

          Eagle hadn't been doing anything since he came home from his weekly visit to the racetracks. "Lantis is really having a good time, I bet," he told himself. Lying on his bed, he closed his eyes for a while and the image of Hikaru's smiling face entered his mind. He couldn't help grinning as he remembered how she react everytime he bring the subject of courting her up. 

He grinned more as he remembered how Lantis reacts about the matter. "People usually think that Lantis hides his emotions well, when actually, it is actually opposite. He may not say how he feels but his actions make his emotions obvious," Eagle mumbled. 

Of course he had to tell the two that he was joking about courting Hikaru…even when he actually is not. He had promised himself to help his friend all he can, but if this thing with Lantis and Hikaru would not work out, he would not hesitate to step in.  If that happens, Lantis' loss would be his gain. 

Eagle yawned…it was not too long until he was sound asleep.

*                                               *                                               *

"Now that velvet blouse is soooo you," Presea told Umi. "You should really go and buy it."

"You really think so?"

"It really does suit you Umi-chan…" Ascot answered.

"Oh for Pete's sake, buy the darn thing!" Clef said. 'It does brings out her eyes though.'

"Oh, ok! Ok! You don't have to be that grumpy you know. See you're hair had turned white because of acting like a grumpy old man," Umi told him. 'His hair really is soooo cool.'

"Are you color-blind woman? Its lavender! La-ven-der! And I was born with this hair." 

"Yeah, yeah whatever! You look like Mr. Scrooge with lavender hair. I bet a horn in the middle of your forehead would suit you too (hehehe! It really does right? ^_~)."

"Ahem! Ahehehe…I think we'd better go and pay for it at the counter?" Presea said. 

"You are right really right Presea," Ascot said. "Hehehe…come along now Clef, I saw some nice cd's on sale over there…"

The two succeeded in stopping Clef and Umi in their usual oral bouts. "See you around Miss Prissy."

"I promise this won't take long old man." Both pairs had gone on their way.

"…Hey this place is cool…" Clef said, looking at the CDs displayed in the store.

"I know you have a knack for those stuff," Ascot replied, grinning. 'At least now his mind is occupied with this, he'll forget about that thing Umi and he started a while ago.'

"Well it's fine as long as he's playing the good ones," Clef told him. 

After a few minutes the two girls joined them. "Wahhh! These are good stuff!" Presea said, looking at the CD Clef is holding. "Let me see…"

"Isn't it? I thought so too…" 

Umi looked as Clef smiled and handed Presea the CD in his hand. She felt a little pinch of jealousy in her heart. 'I bet they have lots in common.' Trying to shift her attention elsewhere, she just listened to the song being played inside the store.

_I haven't slept at all in days_

_It's been so long since we've talked_

_And I have been here many times_

_I just don't know what I'm doing wrong_

_What can I do to make you love me_

_What can I do to make you care_

_What can I say to make you feel this_

_What can I do to get you there_

She tore her eyes from the two, who had been obviously enjoying each other's company. And then she remembered…

*                                               *                                               *

_Umi went home tired and disappointed. "I will never cook for that old man ever again!" _

_"Miss Umi, are you alright?" Mayumi asked as she rushed towards her young mistress. _

_"I'm okay Mayumi. Tell the others that I wouldn't want to be disturbed. I'll be eating my dinner in my room."_

_"Yes Miss Umi."_

_Umi sighed and then went straight to her room. "Clef you are such a BAKA!" She lay on her bed and then took a deep breath. '…And to think I woke up early just to prepare that. I even had to argue with our cook at that time…Well at least Ascot enjoyed it…Hmm, what am I ranting about anyway?'_

_A voice seemed to have answered her in her mind, 'You had worked hard for the meal and someone else ate it.'_

_'Well at least the one who ate it was really thankful.'_

_'But you did not make it for him.'_

_'But I gave it to Ascot.'_

_'You are supposed to give it to Clef. It's supposed to be a way of saying 'thank you' to him.'_

_She remembered how Clef tried cheering her up when she was really sad. 'Yes…he was really sweet at that time…Oh gosh! I forgot to give him back his handkerchief!' She went and tried to look for it in her drawers. 'It wasn't really his fault…the girl gave him the lunch first…I shouldn't be really upset at all, much more blame it all to him…Maybe I should be nicer to him tomorrow and give this back…' She unconsciously hugged the handkerchief close to her heart.  _

_*                                               *                                               *_

Since then, she realized that she actually likes Clef a lot. 'I meant to be nice to him the next morning, but totally forgot about it when he called me 'Miss Sassy' as soon as I walked in the room.' She looked at Clef and Presea again. 'Maybe I should stop this feeling before it actually gets worse that I won't be able to anymore…Maybe I should stay far away from him for a while…'

_There's only so much I can take_

_And I just got to let go_

_And who knows I might feel better, yeah_

_If I don't try and I don't hope_

She quickly turned away. 

_No more waiting, no more, aching_

_No more fighting, no more, trying..._

_Maybe there's nothing more to say_

_And in a funny way I'm calm_

_Because the power is not mine_

_I'm just going to let it fly..._

"Umi-chan? Where are you going?" Ascot asked. His question was left unanswered. 

Clef then turned his attention to Umi who was hurrying to leave the store. He then went to follow her. "Hey Umi-chan! Oi!" He placed his hand on her shoulder as soon as he caught up with her. "Oi! Talk to me will ya?"

"I…"

"Hey I'm sorry if we kind of made you feel out of place ok?"

"No, actually, I didn't feel like that at all…"

"Did we do anything that made you feel depressed again?"

"Well…"

Clef took her hand and then said, "Nevermind, don't feel bad now ok? I promise I'll take it easy on you today." He grinned at her. "You won't even hear me complain really! Let's see, how'd you like it if we do some karaoke? That would be fun wouldn't it?"

"Actually…"

"You'll get to hear me sing…You'll have something to tease me about afterwards…Let's go back now…Please?"

_What can I do to make you love me_

_What can I do to make you care_

_What can I say to make you feel this_

_What can I do to get you there_

_What can I do to make you love me_

_What can I do to make you care_

_What can I say to make you feel this_

_What can I do to get you there_

_And love me...love me....love me.._

          Umi nodded. "Do you mean it when you told me I get to tease you about your singing afterwards?"


	17. Sefiro High Chapter 17

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Okay no flames from anybody yet.good.hehehehe. Now let's see.how about a camping trip for our characters. And oh, me pc is ok now.Yey! I get to write more!!!!!  
  
"Before you all go I have a special announcement to make," Emeraude told her class. "We are all going to have a camping trip." The class started to get really noisy. "Quiet! Let me continue." "Shhhh!" one student said. "The freshmen are going with half of the seniors, and the sophomores are going with the other half. They are going to act as our assistants so be good to them and don't give them trouble. Do I make myself clear?" "Yes ma'am!" the students replied almost simultaneously. "Good. Your class groupings will be the groupings you would have in the camping trip. I assume that you are comfortable with your group-mates by now?" "Yes ma'am!" "Okay, good. The class will be given two buses. You must decide now which groups will ride together. One class group from the senior class 3-A will be joining you for each bus.Yes Faerie-san?" "Is Sol-sempai going to ride with us?" Primera asked. It was followed by "oooh's" and teasing remarks from the others. "I'm sorry Primera but I don't really know the specific details on that.I think his advisor will have to decide about that.Anyway, it is going to be on Friday this week and since the fees for such activities had been paid along with your tuition you wouldn't have anymore problems except for the preparation." Emeraude opened her folder, took out some papers and handed it to Fuu, who is the class president. "Fuu will give you a copy of the list of the things you need to bring. Some of the items there are to be brought by group and some by person so read carefully. Any more questions?"  
  
"Can we bring other things like portable cd players and books." "I don't think you'd have an opportunity to use it when we're there. Alright, I guess I have told you all I need to say. Class dismissed."  
  
* * *  
  
"OI, WILL YOU ALL KEEP QUIET AND LISTEN TO ME?" Lafarga roared at his very noisy students. Soon, the whole room is filled with silence. Lafarga was about to continue when he saw Lantis sleeping. "MR. LANTIS SOL." Eagle was about to drowse off himself but his urge to sleep was lost after hearing his teacher shout. He then tried to wake up his friend sitting in front of him. "Lantis.Hey Lantis.wake up." "Hmmmnnggg?" At the same time that Lantis straightened up an eraser hit him on the face. "Damn it! What was that for?" "That's for sleeping in my class again Mr. Sol," Lafarga replied. "Stupid teacher." Lantis mumbled. "What did you say???" "I said, that kind of hurts." "That would teach you for sleeping in my class!" Lafarga said. "Anyway, where was I? Oh yes. We are going to have a camping trip." Someone at the back of the class exclaimed, "Oh no! Not again!" "I know, I know.At least we don't go to the same place over and over.Anyway, this time, as seniors you will assist us in supervising the younger batches. Your class is assigned to supervise the freshmen classes 1- A and 1-B." "Did you say 1-A?" Lantis asked. "You heard me sleepy head. Don't make me repeat myself again!" "Grumpy instructor." Lantis mumbled again. "What did you say just now?" "I said my eyes are sore." "Oh alright. You will be in your classgroups. Now on which class and which bus you are going to be is your problem. I leave to you the list of classgroups and the students of each freshmen class. Talk amongst yourselves and submit to me a list of the group assignments tomorrow. Here is the list of things you need to bring." He handed the papers to Eagle. "Get one and pass.Now if you don't have any questions I'm leaving. Class dismissed." Lantis snatched the freshmen class list from Eagle's hand, walked towards the teacher's table and sat on it. His classmates looked at him with confused stares. "Just wanna make one thing clear: Hands off Hikaru Shidou's group. They're my group to watch over."  
  
* * * 


	18. Sefiro High Chapter 18

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Stupit formatting…Chapter17 looked too short. Hmph! 

          Due to the camping trip scheduled the day after, classes had been dismissed in an earlier time. The students who have not bought the stuff they need had decided to do last minute shopping. Hikaru, Umi and Fuu had decided that they would go shopping together earlier that day. "So let's go guys?" Umi asked. 

          "Yes Umi-san," Fuu answered.

          "Uh…wait. I have to call Lantis-kun up," she said as she took her phone from her bag and started dialing. "Excuse me for a minute…"

          "Sure…"

          "Moshi-moshi. Lantis-kun…hi…it's me. Yes…No…Actually that's why I called you up…Well, I'm gonna do some last-minute shopping with Umi and Fuu…No don't bother…Oh okay…Where? Okay…Do you want me to buy something for you? I'm going there anyway…Okay…Okay…I'll just call you then when I'm finished?…Are you sure it's okay? I mean you can go straight home if you want…Okay, see you. Take care also."

          "So can we go now?" Umi asked. Hikaru nodded and the three of them started walking. "You're boyfriend really is something Hikaru-chan!" 

          "Ah-hehehe…" Hikaru laughed scratching her head and blushing.

          "He must be really sweet…" Fuu said.

          "He doesn't look like it though. He doesn't smile often also. I mean, no offense, he looks like a snob at first glance."

          "…But he's really nice though…" Hikaru said in a soft voice. "Guys, I have something to tell you…don't be angry at me okay?"

          "What is it, Hikaru-san?"

          "We won't?"

          Before she continued, she first looked around her to make sure that nobody would overhear what she was going to say. "See…You being my bestfriends should know…I had been waiting for the right time to tell you this…"

          "So what is it?"

          "Lantis isn't really my boyfriend…"

          "Wha----???"Umi exclaimed.

          "I see…"Fuu said.

          "I was just kind of helping him out in a way…He's really having a had time being chased by girls and all…So he asked me if I could…you know…pose as his girlfriend…"

          "But why you?"

          "Well, he said that I'm the only girl he feels comfortable with…"

          "And you believed that?"

          "Well, what other reason does he have?"

          "…That he wants to be with you?" Umi said. "And that he likes you for real…"

          "No…"

          "Why not Hikaru-san?"

          "Because he's really handsome and popular and…I don't think I can ever be his type…"

          "Well, what is his type?"

          "I don't know…"

          "So then how can you be sure you're not his kind of girl?"

          "If you think you're not good enough for him, then you're wrong. You're a very attractive, sweet, honest, smart, and most of all you have a good heart," Fuu told her.

          Hikaru didn't answer. 

          "Fake or not, you two are the sweetest couple I've ever seen in my whole life," Umi said. "Gosh, if you can only see yourselves from a different point of view you'd really understand what I mean."

          "You're not having problems about you're, uhm, agreement with him aren't you?" Fuu asked.

          "Well, besides the fact that my brothers will beat him up if they get to know about the 'us-being-a-couple' thing, and Lantis' admirers getting mean at me…"

          "No what I mean is that, do you like someone else?"

          "Oh! That…no…"

          "Or are you getting to like him more than you know you should…?"

          "NO!…I mean…I can't…"

          Fuu and Umi looked at each other. It was as if both of them had read each other's thoughts of not pressing the subject to Hikaru anymore.

          *                                               *                                               *

          "Hello Lantis-kun. Hello Eagle-sempai," Hikaru greeted both boys.

          "Hey, it's not fair! How come you get to call him Lantis-kun and me Eagle-sempai?"

          "Coz you're not supposed to call your boyfriend 'sempai', baka."

          "What? Can't I be your boyfriend too?"

          Lantis shot his friend a quick death-glare and then said, "Shuddup."

          "What now? When are you two going to break up so I can court Hikaru-chan?"

          "Eagle…."

          "Okay, okay, I'll stop," Eagle said, laughing. "Look at Hikaru-chan's face! Ha-ha-ha! I think I overdid it and made her blush too much…"

          "Are you okay, Hikaru-chan?"

          "Yes, Lantis-kun…"

          "So, you two, you didn't get the chance to give me the details of your first date. How did it go?"

          "It was nice, right Hikaru-chan?"

          "Uh-huh! I had fun…"

          "Can I go with you next time?" 

          "There you are again sempai…always teasing…"

          Eagle laughed and then said, "Show me those little sticker pictures. I told you to take some didn't I? Let me see…"

          "You saw the ones in my organizer already…"Lantis told his friend.

          "I want to see all of them. Come on! There are supposed to have 6 copies of that at most I think…Hand over your copies Hikaru…"

          "You're such a bother Eagle…" Lantis complained.

          "Oh it's okay…Here…"Hikaru showed Eagle her organizer with sticker pictures of her and Lantis on it."

          "Perfect! Like a true couple!…Oh by the way, you have to prepare a huge lunch for tomorrow…"

          "Eh?"

          "Well… our group is going to be your group's official babysitters. Lantis here harra---Aww!" before he could even finish, Lantis was able to shut Eagle up by jabbing him with his elbow. 

          "Our group was assigned to supervise your group and another one for tomorrow," Lantis said.

          "Really??? Yey!!! Okay I'm going to make o-bento for the both of you."

          "Don't forget the candies…Ouch!" Lantis hit Eagle again.

          "I'll bring the drinks."

          "Don't tell me you're going to bring that cooler!"

          "Yes I am going to bring that cooler…and _you_ are going to help me carry it!"

          "Oh man!"

*                                               *                                               *

          "Over here Hikaru-chan!" Eagle shouted. Hikaru waved at Eagle and Lantis who were sitting at the back part of the bus. "All of Hikaru's groupmates sit over here. The rest can seat at the front part of the bus. Our other groupmates will keep you company," Eagle said and winked at Hikaru.

          "LANTIS-SAMA!!!!!!!!!" Primera wailed, waving at Lantis. "Can I sit with you??"

          "Faerie-san. You heard what Vision-san said," Emeraude scolded Primera. "You are supposed to sit with your groupmates."

          Primera rolled her eyes and followed what their teacher said.

          "I will be riding at the other bus, so behave yourselves. Your seniors will report any misbehavior of any kind to me. Do _you_ understand that, _Faerie-san_?"

          "Yes, Miss Vendeli …"

          "The tour-guide will be here soon. I'll see you at the site."

          "Yes, miss," the whole class, said simultaneously.

          After Emeraude left, Primera passed a note to Hikaru, which said, "_Lantis is mine! Don't do anything funny with him or you're dead!"_


	19. Sefiro High Chapter 19

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Okay…This is a pretty long chappy…I've decided to make me chappies longer now…Hope you like this.

          While waiting for the travel guide to get on the bus, the students had started to get acquainted with their seniors. "Eagle-sempai, Lantis, these are my groupmates. You remember Umi and Fuu here right?" The two seniors nodded. "These are my other groupmates, this is Zazu…"

          "Oh I know him already. He works for me as a chief mechanic he's really good. By the way, I'm Eagle Vision, and this is Lantis Kyle Sol. You can both call us by our first names we won't mind."

          "Very well, I'm Clef."

          "Ferio Vendeli."

          "Ascot here. We're very honored to be with the two most popular students in this school. I'm a great fan of yours Eagle-sempai."

          "Fan?" Ferio asked. "Is he a movie star or something?"

          "He's a race car driver baka."

          "OH! HE'S _THAT_ EAGLE VISION!!!"

          "Hehehe…Yes…I am," Eagle said scratching his head, laughing.

          "So Zazu is your chief mechanic huh?"

          "…I get paid very well too," Zazu said. "Ne…Eagle-sempai…is your friend really that quiet?"

          "Oh…hehehe…yes…don't mind him…hehehe…Oi Lantis, say something."

          "Something."

          "Not that! Hehehe. Sorry about that…Oi Hikaru-chan, tell your boyfriend to be more sociable. I keep on scolding him about it but he just won't listen to me…"

          Hikaru blushed, and then tried to change the subject. Spotting the karaoke system in the bus the exclaimed, "Sugoi! There's karaoke!!!"

          "Last time we had a trip the travel guide asked Lantis to sing for us…"

          "Really? Did you sing Lantis?"

          "No."

          "He gave the poor guide a death glare and scared him out of his wits. Will you sing if the guide calls you?"

          "I don't know…"

          "See Lantis, at least she's considering."

          "I want to hear you sing," Lantis told her.

          "Clef will sing!" Ascot said.

          "Oh puh-lease! Not him!" Umi said.

          "Hey! I'm not that bad!" Clef protested.

          "Yeah right, you sound like a dog barking," Umi said.

          "At least I don't sound like a frog croaking like you do."

          "I do not!"

          "You do too!"

          "I do not!"

          "Please stop that you two…" Fuu said.

          "Yeah cut that out," Ferio said.

          "Shhhhhhhhh!!!" the rest of their classmates said.

          "Are they always like that?" Lantis whispered to Hikaru.

          "Hehehe…yes…"

A few minutes after that, the tour guide had boarded the bus. The students shouted their excitement as the bus left the school grounds. "Good morning to you! I am Genso Kobayashi your tour guide and later camp guide. As a tour guide I am going to give you different information about the places that we might pass through while on our way to the campsite…"

"Aww man! That would be really boringggg…" someone said.

"Ah-hehe…"  

"Are we gonna have karaoke?" another one asked.

"Well…Yes but…"the tour started to say.

"Yeeeeeeyyyy!!! Karaoke!!!"

"Turn it on! Turn it on!"

"Actually you have to listen to my lecture first…"

"I'll sing!"

"Yeah Miko-chan! Sing for us!"

"Cool! Miko-chan is going to sing!"

"But my lecture…"

"Forget about the lecture! We want karaoke, right guys?"

"YEAH! KARAOKE! KARAOKE! KARAOKE!"

"Ah-he-he. Okay, okay…" 'I just feel that I'm gonna lose my job after this…'

*                                               *                                               *

It was exactly lunchtime when they got to their destination. Most groups had decided to eat lunch first before doing anything. They can be seen sitting together in the areas that had been assigned to them to occupy. Lantis and Eagle however, decided to get the cooler while Hikaru and her groupmates prepare their picnic mat. Primera, who was supposed to be with her groupmates, had somehow been able to sneak out to get find Lantis. "LANTIS-SAMA!!!"

"Oh crap!" Lantis said. It was too late for him to hide however, since Primera was already tugging at his arm. 

"I made lunch for you…I just came to give you this. See you, Lantis-sama!" Primera dashed off as soon as she gave Lantis a lunchbox. 

"You can eat that and I'll have what Hikaru would give you," Eagle told him.

"Not if I can get rid of this…" Lantis' face brightened when he saw the tour guide walking around. "Oi! Oi Mr. Tour Guide! Over here!"

Genso approached the two young men. "Hey you two! What can I do for you?"

Lantis then handed him the lunchbox. "Someone asked us to give you this."

"For me?"

"Yeah, you can ask Eagle here."

"Is that true?"

"Uh…yeah…She came running to us and…uh…asked us to do her a favor. Being nice guys, we agreed to give you this."

"I think she kind of likes you," Lantis said in a serious tone.

"What? Me?"

"Oh you know young girls tend to have a crush on men like you," Eagle said. "If I were you I am going to find out a way to let the girl know you appreciate what she had given you."

"Yes, I am going to eat it in front of everybody…"

"Perfect!" Eagle exclaimed.

"I've done my job. I'm leaving," Lantis said.

"See you again soon Mr. Tour Guide!" Eagle said as they left.

"What an idiot," Lantis mumbled.

*                                               *                                               *

"Ferio-san, here take this," Fuu said as she handed Ferio a lunchbox. "I know you live alone and that you wouldn't get to make something like this so I made one for you."

"Aww, thank you Fuu-chan! I was thinking of just eating potato chips for lunch."

Fuu gasped and then said, "Oh poor Ferio-san! It's a good thing I made lunch for you…Here I made you some juice too."

"Wow! Thanks a lot Fuu-chan! You are so nice to me…" Ferio said getting teary-eyed. "What can I do without you?"

"It's really nothing…"

"Wahhhhh! You're so nice!!!!!"

"Can't you just shut up and eat?" Clef complained. "Geez…" He then opened his bag and looked for his lunchbox. "Great…just great…" he mumbled as he rummaged through his things… "Darn it!"

"Something wrong Clef?" Ascot asked.

"I think mom forgot to put my lunch pack in…"

Umi then handed held out a lunchbox at his face. "Good thing I always bring extra…just in case of an emergency like this," she lied. She had actually woke up early in the morning to prepare for it to give to Clef. 'At least this time he gets to eat it.' "If you don't want it…"

Clef snatched the obento from her and then started eating. "Hmmm…this is really good…."

'I'm glad he liked it…'Umi told herself. "Of course it's good, I made it myself!"

"Yeah…*chew*…You can really cook Umi-chan…*swallow*…."

"Your friend has a very hearty appetite Hikaru-chan," Eagle said. 

Hikaru laughed and then said, "Here is your lunch Lantis…and here's yours Eagle…"

"Wow! I get to eat Hikaru's cooking at last! You see, Hikaru-chan everytime you give Lantis lunch at school, he wouldn't let me have some, even a little bit."

"If I tell you that you can have some, you're gonna eat all of it," Lantis said. 

"*munch*…Probably…*chew**chew*…specially if it's as good as this…*munch**swallow*…Gosh Hikaru this is delicious. Forget about the courtship…I'll have to ask you to marry me if you break up with my friend here." The rest of the gang stopped eating, and looked at Eagle, then at Lantis and then at Hikaru. Lantis shot him a death glare. "What now!!!"

"Shut up and eat."

 "Ah-he-he-he… don't mind him. He always jokes about these things," Hikaru told her friends, blushing. The others then resumed eating.

*                                               *                                               *

"Couldn't sleep Lantis?" Eagle said as he approached his friend who was sitting by the campfire. 

"I'm here to watch over the fire."

"…You see I have this feeling that it's not the fire you had been watching over…" 

"Hmph…"

Eagle then sat beside his friend. "Don't tell me that you are going to deny it. I had been watching you staring at the tent where Hikaru is sleeping."

"What is it that do you want exactly?" Lantis asked, with an irritated look on his face.

"Let's have this man-to-man talk shall we? I am sure, by this time, everyone is asleep and even if they aren't I don't think they can hear us while inside their tents."

"Suit yourself."

"I am going straight to the point. I know you like Hikaru…maybe you're even inlove with her."

"So what if I am?"

"You also know how I feel about her." Lantis looked at the burning flame and then nodded. "She has a good heart, don't you agree? I knew since that first time she handed me that candy, my world will never be the same…And it was the same with you, right?" Lantis nodded again. "I haven't asked you anything but I am going to now…"

Lantis stood up and then said, "I can't give her up for you Eagle…"

"I know you'll say that…and that is not what I wanted to ask you…so hear me out first…Sit down Lantis…" Lantis did as he was told and Eagle continued talking, "I want you to be happy. And now I can see that she's happy with you too. So I had decided to my feelings for her aside…"

"Thank you Eagle…"

"Do not thank me yet, I am not finished. I am willing to set my feelings aside for now…What I ask from you…is never make her cry…because if you do, even just a tear, I swear I am going to take her away from you and you won't have her back…"

*                                               *                                               *

Hikaru looked at the clock beside her. It's already midnight and she still couldn't sleep. She turned to look at her friends, both of them very asleep. She sighed and then got out of the tent. She saw Eagle and Lantis facing her from other side of the campfire.

Eagle gave out a fake yawn and then said, "My, I'm sleepy! I'll take a nap for a while…Wake me up when it's my turn, okay?" He then left and entered his tent.

"Are you alright, Hikaru-chan?"

"I just can't sleep…mind if I sit with you for a while?"

"Go ahead, I don't mind."

"Wow! Look at the full moon! It looks so pretty!!!" Hikaru said, looking up the sky.

"Yes, so pretty…" Lantis murmured. Hikaru didn't know that he was staring at her, instead of the moon. There was silence between them for a long time and then Hikaru suddenly started to talk.

"Ne, Lantis…"

"Yes?"

"Why me?"

"Hmm…?"

"Why me? Why did you ask me to pose as your girlfriend?" Lantis, as if out of words, didn't get to reply right away, he avoided her gaze and looked at the campfire. "There are a lot of girls who would be willing…Someone far more beautiful…Someone more sophisticated…"

_"…Because it's you I want…"_ he wanted to say, but never did get to. How many times had it happened to him when she asks him something?  He had sworn that whenever the time is right he would never hesitate to tell her. And now, that they are alone, with the stars and moon up above them, he couldn't bring himself to even open his lips. He tried again…_ "I just want to be close to you that's all…"_ But the words never left his mouth. He felt her lay her head on his shoulders; it surprised him. Yet it felt really good. After that he knew he was ready speak out to her. "Hikaru, I love you…" There wasn't any reply. Did that mean she accepted his confession? He wouldn't accept her silence, he had to know what she feels…He looked at her, and he saw her fast asleep. He knew by then that his words didn't reach her. 


	20. Sefiro High Chapter 20

AUTHOR'S NOTE: (or is it? I've eaten too much chocos)

Heart: BUWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Lantis: *approaches Heart and doesn't look very happy* Why did you have to make her sleep dammit!?

Heart: Coz it would be more fun that way! *flashes an evil grin* Now go back to that last scene, I've got more things to do...

------*Lantis mumbling evil-evil stuff and gets back to Hikaru's side.*------

------*Eagle comes to the scene*------

Eagle: I know I don't have the right to ask, since you're the author of this fic and I'm just a character but…WHY DO I HAVE TO GIVE HER UP FOR _HIM_?"

Heart: Oh geez, can't you even wait? You'll have your turn. Now shoo-shoo!!!

Eagle:*gets teary-eyed* Really? Promise? Do I get to hug her like I did in the anime?

Heart: Leave before I take it back and kill you in this story like what they did to you in the anime.

-----*Eagle leaves and the Shidou brothers enter the scene*-----

Heart: What now?

Satoru: I had been out of character…

Heart: Sorry, won't do that again…but I must admit you're a very good actor. Besides, I always did thought that the eldest one would be the first to break down when he saw his little tomboy sister grow up suddenly.*grins* So how did you psyche yourself up? Was it… "It seems not long ago when I helped mom take care of her when she was a baby…" kinda thing?

Satoru: *blinked* How did you know?

Masaru: *****sees Hikaru leaning on Lantis' shoulder sleeping* I'm gonna kill him…

Kakeru: Want me to help you bro? *cracking his knuckle bones*

Heart: Don't you ever lay a hand on his beautiful face! On the second thought, he'd beat the 3 of you up in no time…Wait a minute! What are you doing here! *points at Satoru and Masaru* You're supposed to be in Tokyo! *to Kakeru*You're supposed to be in some other campsite! Go!!!

-----*They leave but only to get replaced by the Fuu, Umi, Ferio, Fuu, and Ascot*----

Heart: *before one of them even get to complain* You'll have your own mushy moments…Now go back to your tents, you're not supposed to wake up yet…

-----*Zazu enters*----

Heart: And that goes to you too! Don't get it all mixed up you hear?

----*They all get back to their tents grumbling*---

Heart: Impatient people….*sees the rest of the gang approach her* Don't you even start with me!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

          Hikaru woke up early as usual. She was not lying on her bed, instead she had been leaning on something…no…someone…She then hurriedly straightened herself up. She then remembered talking to Lantis the night before. She gasped, "Oh no! I might have fallen asleep on him!" She looked at the young man sleeping soundlessly beside her.  She heard him mumble something, but didn't get to hear him clearly. She leaned over him listen…her face very close to his…She blushed when she realized how close she had been leaning over to him. 

          Lantis opened his eyes; at first he thought he was dreaming when he saw Hikaru's face. The girl hurriedly straightened up however, when she saw him wake up. He watched how Hikaru's face turned from pink to red to almost purple. "Ohayo Hikaru-chan…"

          "O-ohayo Lantis-kun. I'm sorry if I had slept on you last night…"

          "It doesn't matter… You wake up so early. The sun isn't even up yet…"

          "It will be soon…"

"Yes…Uh, Hikaru-chan…"

"Yes?"

"Did you hear…what I told you last night?"

"No…what was it about?"

"Nothing…It wasn't really important…"

"I think I'd do warm up for a few minutes." Taking a branch long and strong enough for her kendo exercise, she started to walk away…

          "I'll go with you…"

          *                                               *                                               *

          Umi didn't know how long she had been lying there and looking at the sky. The place just looked so peaceful…so quiet…It's an ideal place to go when you need to be by yourself and think about things. She uttered a mild curse when her cellphone rang. 'I should have left the darn thing at home.'

          "Hello Umi…"

          "Mama!"

          "I'm sorry for not waiting for you at least before I leave."

          Umi didn't answer. 

          "I don't think I will come back…at least not yet…"

          "I understand. I miss you, Mama." Honestly she did thought she does understand…until she heard another voice at the background…a man's voice.

          "Who's that, love?" it asked. "My daughter…" she heard her mother answer." Hello, Umi-chan…"

          Again, she didn't answer, instead, she angrily threw the cellphone to the lake in front of her.  It was that moment that she wished that she were back in Tokyo. She yearned for a diversion… This place doesn't have a mall, no kitchen, no ingredients for her to bake a cake with…There were only the trees, and the lake… 'I will not cry…I will not cry…' she chanted in her mind. 

She knew that she have to stay away from her friends for a while until she is sure that she will not suddenly burst into tears. 'I will not cry…I will not cry…' 

"Oi, that's quite an expensive one you threw out there…You rich brats just don't…" she turned around and saw Clef leaning at the large tree behind her. He was about to tease her but was taken aback by what he saw on the girl's face. No amount of sorrow can compare to what he had seen as soon as she turned to face him. "My God! Umi-chan…" he said as he put his hand on her shoulder.

'I will not…' she thought. And yet the simple touch from Clef was enough to make her break down and cry.

Not knowing what to do, he knelt before her and tried to console her. "Umi-chan…Please…Tell me what's wrong…" She didn't answer, instead wrapped her arms around him and cried more. It seemed to him, that the only right thing to do was to hold her tight and let her cry all she wants. After a few minutes of continuous sobbing, Umi finally came to the point that she herself thinks that she have no more tears left to cry with. Sensing this, Clef said, "Wait here, I'll get some water…"

Clutching tightly on Clef's shirt, Umi pleaded with her eyes. "I don't want to be alone…"

Clef understood and then nodded. "So now can you tell me what happened?"

"My mother called me. I was talking to her on the phone when this guy in the background asked 'Who's that, love?' and my mother answered him…It was not my father's voice."

"Maybe you just misunderstood?"

"If he hadn't called her 'love'…"

"I understand…"

"It's not just that…I grew up seeing my parents treat each other as if one does not exist. I know they care about me, but all my life I had wished that they'd care about each other. They never did argue…sometimes I wished they would. At least I know that there is some spark left…But there was nothing…not love, not even hate. And I know, that the only reason they lived together for so long is me. And I don't like it…I don't want to be the reason why they have to tolerate that maddening silence between them. Deep inside, I had wished, that I would wake up one morning and I see Papa and Mama smile at each other with love in their eyes. And now…I don't know if I'll ever see that…tell me Clef was it too much to ask?"

"Why didn't you ask them?"

Umi looked at Clef. Why hadn't she asked them? Was it because she was too scared of being rejected?

"My mother told me before, that people do all they can to make the people they love happy. And it seems to me that they do love you dearly even if they don't love each other…Maybe if you ask…they might try…" Clef wiped the tears on Umi's eyes.

"Thank you Clef…"

"Don't mention it. I told you I don't want to see you cry didn't I?…Your face is too beautiful to be stained with tears…"

"Sorry Clef…You always get to be passing by when I feel miserable…It seems as if I always drag you in my troubles."

"No problem…But that doesn't mean I won't tease you anymore…"

"Why you…Old man!" Umi said, in a voice more cheerful than before.

          "Cry baby!"

          "Old man!"

          "There…I can see you're okay now…I'm glad…"

          Realizing that what Clef said was actually true, Umi thanked Clef again. "Ne, Clef-kun…"

          "Hmm…?"

          "Here's your handkerchief…"

          "Keep it…as a remembrance…" Clef smiled, stood up and held out his hand to Umi. "Everything will be alright…All you have to do now, is take my hand…Let's go back to the camp Umi…"

          She smiled back and she took his hand again…Just like she did before…

          *                                               *                                               *

          ""Math assignment…Biology assignment…English composition…Why do we have to pass these things on Saturday?" Ferio complained. "Why do we even have classes on Saturday?"

          "Having problems Ferio-san?" Fuu asked him as she handed him some water.           

          "Those teachers just don't slack, don't they? They give us those camping trips and give us tons of projects and assignments at the same time. Even my sister gave us this English composition-thingie…And this biology assignment…what a headache!"

          "Want me to help?" 

          Getting puppy-eyed again, Ferio said, "WAAAAAAAAHHHH!!! Fuu-chan!!! Are you sure you're human? Maybe you're my guardian angel in disguise…Waahhh!!! You're so sweettttt…."

          "Demo, I can't teach you tomorrow…"

          "We can study at the bus on our way home!"

          "Well, Umi-san would be sitting with me and…"

          "No problem, I'd just ask her if I can sit with you on the bus. I think she'd agree…There she is!" Ferio took Fuu's hand and they ran towards Umi, who was with Clef. "Umi! Hey!"

          "Hmmm?"

          "Umi, you don't mind trading seats with me in the bus ne? I really really reaaaaaaaalllly need to sit with Fuu. I'm having a hard time with these assignments…and besides, I'm still not that good in my kanji and all….Pleeease????"

          Clef noticed Umi squeeze his hand tight. He knew she needed to be with someone she's very comfortable with…especially at these moments. "Anou…" Umi said.

          "I'm sure it won't be a problem…" Clef cut in. Actually I was going to ask you if you could switch places with her. She wanted to listen to my cd's…and I have only one cd player…"

          "What's with the holding hands?" Ferio asked.

          "What?…Uh…Geez…I was hurrying her up since she's too slow and we had to pack up and leave soon…Ahe-hehehehe…" Clef said, at the same time letting go of Umi's hand. "I had to drag this slow girl…"

          "Okay…see Fuu-chan? I told you it's okay…Hikaru will be sitting with her boyfriend too, no doubt about that…"

          "Okay…" Fuu said and smiled.

          *                                               *                                               *

          Primera got a chance to sneak into Lantis' camp again. She saw him taking a nap underneath a tree. She was about to approach Lantis when she saw Eagle blocking her way. "And where do you think you're going, Primera-chan?"

          "What's it to you?"

          "Tsk-tsk…that's not the right way to speak to your senior Primera-chan…"

          "I just wanna see Lantis-sama that's all…"

          "Poor Lantis, he must be really tired staying up too late with Hikaru last night…"

          "Staying…up…late…with…"

          "…They even ended up sleeping near the campfire…"

          "They…slept…"

          "Yups!" Then with a fake surprise, Eagle added, "Woops! I'm sorry Primera-chan…Don't tell Lantis I told you ne?"

          "That girl is gonna be soooooooooooo deaddd!!!!"

          "I don't think that's possible Primera-chan. You see, I don't think Lantis had no plans to leave her side. And of course, if you do succeed, Lantis will be reallllly, realllly, displeased…Now that, is something that we wouldn't really want to see…ne?"

          "I need to see Lantis-sama!" Primera said fuming with anger. 

"Maa…You're so pushy," Eagle said as he moved out of her way.

"…Are????? Where is he now!!!????" Seeing that Lantis is no longer there.

"Maybe helping Hikaru-chan pack up and all…"

"If you hadn't been on my way…"

"Sorry…Sa, Primera-chan, you have to go back to your camp. Hurry, before your other seniors find out that your gone."

"But…"

"See you at the bus Primera-chan!"

"Demo…"

"Ja ne!" Eagle said, and left Primera all by herself.

*                                               *                                               *

The students left the campsite at 10 in the morning. They were given time to buy stuff for "omiyage" and have their lunch when they get to the nearest town. After that, they headed back to Tokyo. 

Fuu and Ferio had been busy studying all the while. Zazu and Eagle, on the other hand, had been discussing the new adjustments they're gonna make on Eagle's car. Ascot had been smiling like an idiot for quite sometime, just because that Umi is sitting beside him…Actually, Umi is sitting between him and Clef. Hikaru and Lantis sat together as expected.

"Ne, Lantis-kun…"

"What is it Hikaru-chan?"

"Primera had been staring at me like that since we left the campsite?"

"Nani?" he asked, and saw Primera giving Hikaru a very angry glare. "Don't mind her Hikaru-chan…"

"Demo…" They suddenly heard Eagle laughed out loud.

"Oi, Eagle…Wasn't it you who were talking to that mad woman a while ago?" Eagle didn't answer, he just laughed louder. "Nuts. What did you tell Primera now?"

"N-nothing…hehe…n-nothing much really…"

"Eagle!"

"I just told her not to disturb you because you stayed up late with Hikaru last night…"

"Baka…what else?"

 "And well, that you two ended up sleeping outside…I just kinda yanked her chain a little bit that's all…"

"What!!!.. You two slept together???" Zazu asked. Suddenly, the whole group stopped what they were doing and stared at Hikaru.

 "Yes…no…it's not what you think!!! Were talking last night and well…I got sleepy and…" Hikaru said. 

"Mind your own business…" Lantis snapped at Zazu. "I swear I'm gonna kill you…" he told Eagle, gritting his teeth. 

"No you won't. You wouldn't want to do such act of violence in front of Hikaru…You'll end up in prison too…"

          "Ahehehe…Candies everyone?" Hikaru said. 

*                                               *                                               *


	21. Sefiro High Chapter 21

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Wahhh…I dunno how long this fic is gonna be…*thinks* Wahhh!!!! Will you all still wuv me even if I make this story pretty long? ^_^'

          Hikaru laughed as the man caught her by the waist…She took a deep breath, inhaling the salty sea breeze… "I got you now…" he said, a sweet smile forming on his lips.

          "I give up!" she said, still laughing. He put his arms around her in a warm embrace.  

          "Ne Hikaru-chan…"

          "Hmm?"

          "I love you…"

          "I love you too."

          "I've always loved you, you know. Ever since the first day we met…And I tried telling you many times before…I thought that he had succeeded in taking you away from me…" he paused, and then continued, "I'm sorry I gave you away…Anyway, now that I have you, I will never let you go, I promise." 

          And then he kissed her. She could feel how her heart started to beat faster, how her stomach seemed to turn upside down…and how she seemed to melt slowly…

          And then she woke up…

          Hikaru sat up from her bed and looked around her. She wasn't at the beach, she was in her room…She slowly touched her lips… 'Is that how a kiss would feel like?' 

It was just a dream…and yet it felt so real…And the man…Who is he? Why couldn't she remember his face?  

          *                                               *                                               *

Weeks had passed since the trip. School had been hectic as usual and the students had been looking forward for the summer break. As for Lantis, he wouldn't care if it were the end of the world, what he had been thinking about was that he might not get to see Hikaru for a month. 'If you had the gall to confess to her earlier, there might be a possibility that you two will be a real couple and you wouldn't have problems on how you can get to see her during summer break…Or you might have scared her off and you won't get to be with her at all…' Lantis frowned with the thought.

          "You look so serious Lantis…By the way, here's your schedule for the summer…"

          "My what?!"

          " Sche---dule, baka, sche--dule! I gave Hikaru her copy already; she said it's okay. What about you?" Lantis didn't mind that his friend called him baka. Besides his brother, only Eagle can call him that and get away with it. 

          "Hikaru's copy?"

          "Dates…movies and stuff like that and oh, and even special kendo practice hours. The tournament is coming, if you do remember…"

          "Oh yeah…"

          "…Not that both of you need practice anyway, but you know what I mean…Come on and read it now…Tell me if there are any conflicts and I will adjust it for you." Lantis stared at his friend… Why, Eagle actually solved the problem he'd been musing over. "What now?…Oh nevermind that…Just read it so I can put any corrections if necessary." 

          "Thanks Eagle."

          "No problem. Just how long do you intend to do this anyway?"

          "I'm just afraid I'd scare her off, Eagle."

          "Now 'afraid' isn't a word I'd usually hear from you. Man, if I haven't had that deal with you I'd just confess to her myself since you're just too slow!" Seeing Lantis' glare, Eagle said, "…But then of course we did have that deal so…" 

          *                                               *                                               *

          Umi and Fuu noticed that their friend had been acting quite strange since that morning. They were about to ask her what was wrong when Hikaru said, "Ne…"

          "Hmm?" Umi said.

          "Have you ever been inlove?"

          Surprised with the question, Umi asked, "Why Hikaru?"

          "Well…I just had this dream last night…"

          "A dream?"

          "Yes…Of being with someone…and he kissed my lips…Maa—don't mind me, I'm sounding silly now…giving too much of a fuss to some dream."

          "Oh those kind of dreams…Usually you do get those when you dream of someone you are inlove with…" Fuu said.

          "…But, I can't remember who I was kissing…"

          "It might mean you are not aware you are inlove with that person yet…"

          "Me? Inlove with someone but not aware that I am? Isn't it kind of weird?"

          "Uh-huh… Sometimes it does happen though…"

          "Are you having dreams like this one I had too?" Hikaru asked Fuu. 

          Fuu blushed. "Yeah, Fuu…are you?" Umi said. "On the other hand, have you ever been inlove Fuu?"

          "A-anou…How about you Umi-san?" Fuu asked. This time, it was Umi's turn to blush. "Well…we are friends anyway so…I guess we'd better share secrets ne? Specially when it comes to the matters of the heart…"

          "I agree, Fuu-chan."

          "So you start first then Umi-san?" Fuu said, smiling.

          "Hey that's not fair!" Umi said. "…Demo…I do have a special someone…I don't think he feels the same way though."

          "I guess, we're kind of the same ne? It's just in my situation, I am not sure of his true feelings for me…If he's just nice to me because I help him a lot…"

          "It's Ferio, right?" Fuu nodded. 

          "Your special someone is Clef, right?"

          "…He'd been there for me a couple of times…And I know he do care for me, to some extent…He told me, he doesn't want to see me cry…So it means he cares for me in a certain way, ne?…Demo, I really wish…he feels the same…"

          "Aww, Umi-chan…" Hikaru said.

          "Sometimes, it doesn't matter if he teases me a lot…I'm happy that he does pay attention to me…It may sound pathetic but…Oh well…enough about that…"

          "It really sounds you are in love with him, Umi-san…"

          "Well, I guess I am… 'love' is a powerful word though…How about you and Ferio, Fuu-chan?"

          "What about us? It's like 'nothing' and 'something' at the same time."

          Hikaru blinked. "Nothing and something?"

          "He gives me flowers almost everyday, flirts with me sometimes, gets really sweet, treats me out for lunch, very often I may say…He has that look in his eyes, everytime he looks at me…There's something in his smile…that's the 'something' part."

          "How about the 'nothing' part?"

          "I've been waiting for the words, to come out of his mouth…but there was nothing…See, I have to hear it come from him…so I can be sure…I told you, there's nothing…He never made me feel sure…"

          Ne, that's really confusing Fuu-chan…" Hikaru said. 

          "How about you Hikaru-chan…What exactly do you feel about Lantis?"

          "I don't know…"

          "What do you mean, you don't know?"

          "I feel very comfortable and happy with him…like I'm comfortable with my brothers…and Eagle-sempai."

          "Eagle-sempai?"

          "Yes, but well there's something else…"

          "Something else?"

          "When he smiles at me…it feels good when he smiles at me…because he never smile that often…And he makes me blush…"

          Umi laughed, "Oh Hikaru you think so much like a child…Nobody else could make you blush like he does ne?"

          "Actually…"

          "Huh?"

          "Eagle-sempai does…"

          "Naniiiiii????" Umi exclaimed. "Okay, who among the two you're reallllly more comfortable with?"

          "Both…"

          "…Who do you think is more handsome?" Fuu asked.

          "Ne, that's kinda hard…coz they're both the same…"

          "Who do you like to be with more?"

          Hikaru didn't answer; she's really thinking very veryyy hard. "Oh well, it's hopeless, I guess it's not the right time for her to know such stuff…"

          "She's 16 for pete's sake!"

          "Have you ever had a crush Hikaru-san?"

          "No…"

          "Oh…that makes it more difficult ne?"

          Hikaru on the other hand is still in deep thinking…what does she really feel about Lantis? And what difference is it to what she feels about Eagle? 

          *                                               *                                               *

           Clef and Ascot are walking home from school. "Ne, Clef…"Ascot started to say. 

          "What?"

          "Do you like Umi?"

          "What the heck are you asking me that for?!" Clef snapped, sounding very irritated. He hadn't been aware that he actually had shouted his denial.

          "Well, I've been noticing, the way you…"

          "Baka. You don't know what you're talking about."

          "You haven't answered my question yet, Clef."

          "I don't like her, so there! Happy now? You can go moping on her as you like I wouldn't care less…"

          "Demo, Umi is really pretty isn't she?"

          "Umi is a whining, spoiled, annoying brat, that's what she is!" He shouldn't have said that. He realized it more when he saw Umi looking at him, with hurt printed all over her face. 'She's…here…She heard…' He could have kicked himself right then and there. Head bowed down, she didn't dare let one tear fall from her eyes as she and her friends continued walking past them. 'That's what you get for being such a big liar Clef…Trying to hide your feelings in favor of your bestfriend. You're the biggest hypocrite in the whole world.' 

          "Why you…"He didn't see it coming, he just felt the heavy blow straight on his cheek. "Look what you have done! Look what you have friggin' done! She was happy being with you, you idiot! I could have given her up to you just to see her smile the way you make her do. You stupid idiot!" Another blow landed on his chin, and then another one… "You liar! You told her you don't want to see her hurt! Why did you have to hurt her?" 

          "I…hurt…her…" tears suddenly fell from Clef's eyes. "I hurt Umi…I love Umi…" Deep inside he wanted Ascot to hit him harder…He deserved punishment from hurting the most special person in his life…

          Ascot stopped as soon as he heard. "You're an idiot…" He looked at his friend, nose bleeding and looking pathetic.  "Should have told me that earlier…then none of this would have happened." He picked Clef up, put his friend's arm around his shoulder. "Maa---You're mother is gonna kill me when she sees this…"

          "Hmph…Deserved it anyway…You sure did knocked the truth out of me…literally"

          "You're still an idiot…"


	22. Sefiro High Chapter 22

Author's note: *jumps around* lalalalalala…they said they'll still wuv me ^_^ yey!!! 

___________________________________________________________________

Sitting on the bed of his room, Clef let out a loud yell when Ascot dabbed a cotton soaked with alcohol on a wound on his chin. "Iiiiiitaaaaai da yo!!!" Clef said. 

          "Shuddup! You told me you deserved it ne? So quit whining!"

"Ch…you could have just punched me in the stomach or something…"

"Baka! As if I had time to think of where I should punch you…"

"Hmph!"

"Demo…"

"Hmm?"

"I'm sorry…but when I saw her face, I just had this sudden urge to beat you up that's all. One reason is because you had hurt her, and the other is, because only you can bring her smile back." There was silence between them for a couple of minutes. "I'll be right back…" Ascot said, leaving the room. He came back with an icepack on his hands and handed it to Clef.

"Oi…How did you know that I told her that I don't want to see her hurting?"

"I…I saw the two of you…during the camping trip. I was just watching her see, I wanted go and join her but you know I'm too shy. When she threw the cellphone to the lake, I was gonna cheer her up, only…Only you came to her first. I kinda got curious so I went nearer to hear what you were saying…"

"Bakero! How far were you to had been able to hear everything?"

"Just at the other side of the bushes behind you…You two were too busy to notice though…"

"Naniiii????"

*                                               *                                               *

"I'm just sooooo tired…" Caldina said, stretching her arms as she walked towards Lafarga. 

"Does that mean you have to postpone our dinner-date?" Lafarga said smiling.

"Who said I will?" Caldina answered as she sat on his lap. "Wouldn't miss it for the world, dah-ling…"

"I thought so…"

Caldina grinned. They had started dating since the embarrassing incident during the camping trip. She suddenly started blushing as she remembered…

"Hey, you're blushing…Why?"

"I can still remember that camping incident."

Lafarga laughed. "Oh I see now…"

"Hey! Stop that…" Caldina told her with a frown. 

"That would teach you to stop making silly schemes…Look where it got you…Hahaha…I could have had believed you were drowning for real if only I didn't know that the water was just really up to your waist. I just wish I didn't have to point that out to you and played along instead…Could had given you mouth-to-mouth resuscitation."

"Waaah! You don't have to remind me!"

"I must admit, you're a cunning woman…All those plans…My!"

"That's because you're too slow…"

"The spider-thing was really believable…" Lafarga said. "And pretending to fall down the stairs is very, very dangerous…Don't you dare do that again!"

"Weeelll, I don't have to…at least not anymore…But admit it, you did like the kiss…"

*                                               *                                               *

"Ne, Umi-chan, daijoubu ka? Hikaru asked her friend. 

"Of course I'm alright! Why would I not be?" Umi answered, smiling. "You worry too much Hikaru-chan…"

"It's just that…"

"Maa--, I won't let myself be bothered by what that old man had said," Umi said, hoping that her friend believed her. "I think I'm gonna bake some cookies when I get home…" Hikaru and Fuu looked at each other. They knew that something wasn't right when Umi started talking about baking something. "I'm alright, really."

"You sound like you're trying to convince yourself than trying to convince us," Fuu pointed out. 

"So ne? You two are starting to know me too well…Oh well, I guess now I got my wish ne? I found out what he really thinks about me…"

"You can't actually believe that!" Hikaru exclaimed. 

Umi shrugged and said, "I don't know what to believe when it comes to him anymore. Demo…demo, I'm tired of crying…in a way he's right, I do whine a lot," Again, she forced herself to smile. "I just don't know…I just don't know if I can stop myself from crying when I see him tomorrow…I'll try though…"

"Umi-chan…"

"I should try acting like nothing's wrong, maybe I can convince myself…Man, that would be quite hard…Sometimes, sometimes I wish I can be more like him. He's so good hiding what he's feeling…But I'll try really hard. This time, I'll be strong…He'll see that I can be…Demo, I do hope, he'd notice…"

*                                               *                                               *

"Don't worry Hikaru-san, she'll be alright…" Fuu said, smiling. "Come on, she'll be fine. Specially after baking those cookies."

"What does that have to do about anything?"

"Well, it's her own way to ease out her feelings. She'll feel better after baking those cookies," Fuu assured her.

"Ne, Fuu-chan…"

"Yes, Hikaru-chan?"

"It must have hurt really bad ne?"

"What would you have done if you were Umi-san?"

"Oh I don't know…Would have cried my heart out, I guess…I would have asked him why the heck did he waste his time on me then if he really feels that way…I would have asked him many things…"

"So ne?"

Their conversation was cut short by the ringing of Hikaru's phone. "Moshi-moshi. Hai! You finished with you're library work now? …Meet me where? Ahhh! Okay…No problem…Hai! Ja ne!"

"Lantis-sempai?"

"Yeah, he wanted to meet me at the ice cream parlor. Wanna come?"

"Hmm…Okay."

*                                               *                                               *

"And so Geo kinda told…Oi!!! Are you listening to me?"

"No need to shout Eagle…" Lantis said. 'Stupid assignment! I should had picked Hikaru up after class if it isn't for this stupid research work.'

"I don't think you are…Anyway, stop sulking, our little princess is here, and she has company…"

Lantis saw Hikaru enter the ice cream parlor along with genius friend. At first, he was rather uncomfortable with the extra company, but when he realized it might be a good reason for keeping up the pretend-relationship he kind of cheered up. 'That is…if she haven't told that Huouji person yet…' Well if she did, he'd just have to reason out that there are lots of Sefiro students around.

"Hi Lantis-kun, hi Eagle-sempai…"

"…There's the –sempai again…" Eagle complained.

"Hello Sol-sempai, Vision-sempai," Fuu greeted the two boys and then gave a bow. 

"You have forgotten the fact that the two of us would very much prefer being called by our first names, Huouji-san…"

"Well then, if sempai feels comfortable with that, why not? Of course you wouldn't mind it if I ask you to call me by my first name also?"

"Ah…So be it. You wouldn't mind sitting with me ne, Fuu-san? Lantis here had been itching to be with his beloved all the while now," Eagle said with a wink. "We wouldn't want to disappoint him, would we?"

"Of course not…Hikaru-chan had been feeling the same…" Fuu said. Hikaru could swore she saw a glimmer of mischief in Fuu's eyes for a while there. 

"Fuu-chan!"

"No need to be embarrassed Hikaru-san, he _is_ you're boyfriend after all?"

"Lantis is mine!…" 

"Oh hi Primera-san! I didn't know you were here also?" Fuu said, smiling at the girl who just popped out from nowhere. 

'So that's what it was…They might have seen Primera approaching…' Hikaru thought.

"Suddenly I don't feel like eating here…" Lantis spoke out loud. "…The place got too uncomfortably crowded for me."

"Waaahhh you're too mean, Lantis-sama!"

"Lantis-kun!" Hikaru scolded the young man beside her.

"You do like cheesecakes don't you, _love_?" Lantis said, ignoring Primera. "I know a place that serves great cakes of all sorts. You're gonna love it…"

"I do hope you won't mind the change of venue, Fuu-san? It is just my friend here have sudden mood shifts sometimes," Eagle said.

"Of course not."

"Waaahh!!! Don't ignore me! Lantis-sama!!!!!!"

The four got up from their table and then started to leave the restaurant. "Ja ne, Primera-chan!" Eagle cheerfully said, waving goodbye. Primera would have followed them, that is, until Lantis gave her a "don't-you-dare-follow-us" glare.

*                                               *                                               *

"Where's you're blue-haired friend?"

"She went home, saying something about baking cookies…"

"And how about your boyfriend, Fuu-san?"

"Dare?"

"You're boyfriend…Oh, you mean, the green-haired boy isn't a boyfriend then?"

Fuu blushed. "A-anou…he's not…"

"Oh sorry, it's just that I often do see the two of you walking home together so I assumed…Sumanai…"

"No, it's okay Eagle-sempai…Anou, I'm really sorry if I am being a trouble going with you."

"A friend of Hikaru-chan is a friend of ours," she heard Lantis say. Fuu couldn't help but blink. That was the first time he had actually spoken to her. 

'If Umi was here, she'd freak,' Fuu thought. "Thank you sempai."

"No problem."

'That was the second time.'

"My, my, aren't you being sociable today?" Eagle said. 

"Your voice is oozing with sarcasm Eagle," Lantis told him. "How about that cheesecake, _love_?"

Fuu, being always polite and proper, had been trying to keep herself from giggling. 'Lantis have no idea that I already know about that charade they're playing…they do play it quite well though, too well actually.'

"You aren't planning to go now, are you Fuu-san?" Eagle said. "You should join us really, you know. Both of us wouldn't mind, right Lantis?"

Lantis nodded.

"Please Fuu-chan?" Hikaru begged.

"Oh alright," Fuu agreed. 'I want to know how Hikaru got to like these two…and find out which of them is the one she really loves.' While they were walking, Fuu had noticed how Eagle had been stealing glances at her friend. 'So he likes her too…' Her gaze shifted to Lantis… 'Yes, that look sempai was giving her was an adoring one…' She looked back to Eagle, 'He's looking at her the same way his friend does…'

"Yeeeeeyyyy!!!! Cheesecake!!!!" Hikaru said as they entered the café. 

Fuu smiled, 'She still acts like a child sometimes…' Looking at the two men with them, Fuu thought, 'No wonder she's confused. These two are both totally alike yet totally different. Lantis is the serious type…Eagle is a cheerful one…Both of them are quite handsome…Both do show their affection in different ways…Lantis is really sweet on her…Eagle flirts with her a lot…'

"I told my friend here that I might take Hikaru away from him if he wasn't careful…" Eagle said and then laughed. Hikaru blushed, Lantis glared. "Oi, Hikaru-chan you're blushing again…"

"And whose fault would that be then, baka!" Lantis said.

With Eagle's constant teasing on Hikaru, Lantis' irritation after hearing it, and Fuu's deep observation, none of them noticed the green-haired young man following them with a frown on his face. 


	23. Sefiro High Chapter 23

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thankies fer the nice reviews ppl! You're all su-huch sweeties!!! 

          Ferio noticed someone very familiar exit the ice cream parlor.  Even with her back facing him, there was no mistake that the girl was Fuu, along with Hikaru and…two seniors? Ferio blinked and rubbed his eyes… Hikaru was holding hands with the young Sol, and Fuu—his dearest Fuu, was walking behind the couple, along with the silver-haired senior, laughing as if she enjoyed his company. Ferio frowned… 'This doesn't look really good…'

          He continued following her to a café. Of course, he tried to be discreet, so he chose a spot that he can watch them, without being noticed. Ordering a piece of apple pie, and a glass of iced tea, he waited and watched carefully. 'A double-date perhaps?' he asked himself. '….Hmm, maybe…' He looked at the senior sitting beside his Fuu… silver hair and brown eyes, very handsome, rich and famous, not to mention, a senior. 'Man, now that's someone I don't think I can compete with.' He could almost hear his father say_, "Where is your Vendeli pride? You are an Italian noble, the heir of one of Italy's biggest family! Your bloodline had descended from the Kings!"_

          He looked at Fuu and Eagle and sighed. _'Stop looking so pathetic! Don't act like a weakling!' _How many times did his father tell him that? 'So the question is, would I just sit here, mope, sigh, and let my angel be taken away?' 

          'NO WAY!' he told himself. 'Ferio you are too slow. You should do something about it before someone does manage to take your angel away from you…Court her the way Ferio Vendeli only could! Where is your Vendeli pride? Use your Italian charm, sweep her off her feet…' He took a bite of the pie with a smile and sipped the tea he ordered. "…But for now, it wouldn't hurt to just watch a little bit…"

          *                                              *                                              *

          Alcyone looked at her reflection on the mirror and gave an evil smile. 'Emeraude had almost opened up to me now. She thinks I'm a friend…Someone she could trust…Yes, I can see that she trusts me so well.'

          She just came home from shopping with her new 'friend'. She was tired, yet extremely happy. 'Soon Zagato Sol will be mine…' She took out a nice bead necklace that Emeraude bought for her earlier. _'See now we have the same necklace!'_ the poor unsuspecting girl told her with a giggle. Alcyone could have thrown it on the trashcan right then and there…'She is sooo naïve!'

          Alcyone smirked as she remembered all the lies she had told Emeraude… Those deep, dark secrets that were never really hers. The sympathizing look Emeraude gave her disgusted her, made her want to hurt her even more. 

          Emeraude had told her about her childhood in Italy…her life as a member of an aristocratic family with her brother…told her about time that she and her mother left for Japan…'Soon she will tell me about her relationship with Zagato…And if I'm lucky enough, I might learn something very interesting…'Alcyone stayed all night thinking of what more lies to tell Emeraude, laughing an evil laugh once in a while… 'I don't care if this is what they call obsession…I want Zagato mine!'

          *                                              *                                              *

          Kakeru noticed his brother look at the clock every after almost 10 minutes. He watched him walk back and forth, his eyebrows strained, and with a frown on his face.

          "Oi Kakeru!"

          "Hai!"

          "Isn't your sister supposed to be with you?"

          'So that's it!'

          "She'd been coming home late these past few months…Do you know why?"

          "She had been busy with her club activities onii-san. Sometimes she and her friends have fun too…" Kakeru said frowning, he hated lying to Satoru. 'She must be with her boyfriend as usual.' "If you're really worried, you can call her on her cellphone…"

          Satoru stopped walking and faced Kakeru. He raised his eyebrows and then asked, "Since when did she get a cellphone?"

          "A-anou…" he stammered. 'Dammit!' "S-she…I mean, her friend bought her one!"

          "A friend?"

          "Yes, I think it's that Ryuuzaki girl…Yes…I'm not sure…but I did remember her saying it was that Ryuuzaki girl…"

          "Why the hell would she give her something that expensive?"

          "She's quite close with her. She's very rich and well, I've heard she is very generous when it comes to her friends…"

          "Hmm…I see…Gimme the her number will you?"

          Kakeru took a piece of paper, wrote Hikaru's number, and handed it to his older brother. "Here…"

          "Thanks…" Satoru said as he walked out of the living room.

          "Now that was close!…" Kakeru muttered.

          "Oi bro!" Kakeru almost jumped out of surprise when he heard Masaru calling him. "What's the matter? You look like you have seen a ghost!"

          "Don't scare me like that!"

          "What did I do now?" Masaru asked looking very irritated. "Oh by the way, I've been wondering…"

          "Hmm?"

          "I remember you said something about seniors fancying our sister?"

          Kakeru gulped. 'This is not good…'

          "Tell me…who are they?"

          "I dunno…"

          "What do you mean, you don't know? You go to the same school with her and you don't know?"

          "Like duh! Like there are lots of senior men at school! Besides, they were just secret admirers kinda…" Kakeru lied.

          "I see…"

          "Ne Masaru…"

          "Hmm?"

          "What would you do if our sister had a boyfriend?"

          "You mean now?"

          "Yes…"

          "Easy, I'll beat him up!" Masaru answered with a wide grin. "You'd do the same will you?"

          "What if later then?"

          "I'd still beat him up."

          "…Oi, why didn't you tell me that Hikaru is with that Sol lad?" Satoru asked while walking back in the livingroom. Kakeru almost fainted.

          "W-who told you?"

          "I called her up. I talked with that Sol too."

          "Y-you did?" Kakeru stammered. 'I'm really gonna get it now!'

          "BAKERO! Why didn't you tell us?!" 

          "I-IwasreallygonnatellyoubutIforgot. Hehehehe!!!" Kakeru laughed nervously. 

          "Why onii-san? What's wrong?" Masaru asked. "What didn't he tell us?"

          "This twerp didn't tell us that our sister is joining the inter-high kendo competition. I talked to their captain." 

Kakeru face-faulted. 'I really thought he found out about sis and Lantis-kun…' 

"She'd been practicing hard these days. If this idiot over here had told me about it I wouldn't have worried too much…"

"Wow! She's gonna be the national champion again I bet!" Masaru said. "I thought our sister was dating someone and all…" A sweatdrop appeared on Kakeru's forehead. "Ne bro, Kakeru asked me this question and I think I should ask you too."

"Hmm?"

"What would you have done if sis had a boyfriend?"

"Why…beat him up of course!" Satoru said.

*                                              *                                              *

          "You got me very nervous there, Lantis-kun…" Hikaru said, taking a deep breath. Her eldest brother just called and asked her where she was. When Lantis saw Hikaru getting really nervous and tongue-tied, he grabbed the phone and introduced himself…as Hikaru's captain, that is. Lantis started complimenting Hikaru's excellent kendo skills and then congratulating her brother for having a sister as good as her. He told him that Hikaru is the school's representative for the coming inter-high kendo competition. Her brother then assumed that Hikaru had been practicing hard after school. 

          "…That was a very smart move though," Fuu said, smiling, her eyes cradling both amusement and mischief. 

          "Wait until I tell you about what he did when Primera gave him a lunchbox," Eagle said, laughing.

          Fuu looked at the silver-haired senior beside her. 'He does have deep feelings for Hikaru and yet… he seem to do nothing but tease her…Could it be that he had stepped down for his friend? And yet when he does joke about taking Hikaru for himself, it seems as if it is some kind of a warning to Lantis…A reminder that he is there, just waiting for his turn…if he was given an opportunity…'

          "Hmph!" Lantis said.

          "What did you do when Primera gave you obento?" Hikaru said, eyes narrowing.

          "Well I…." Lantis said.

          "He called the tour guide and told him that some lovestruck girl asked us to give it to him." Everybody, except Lantis, started laughing. "If only I saw Primera's face at that time…"

          "Lantis-kun…that wasn't very nice…" Hikaru said, trying to show a straight face. She ended up laughing hard though, as she imagined how Primera fumed when she saw that the tour-guide was eating the food she made for Lantis.

          "It didn't look that you really mean that…" Lantis said, smiling.

          'There, she made him smile again!' Fuu told herself. 'Now I know what she meant when Hikaru said she feels good when he smiles at her. Lantis-sempai doesn't smile that often and yet...he smiles because of her.'

          *                                              *                                              *

           The next day, Fuu was surprised when she entered their classroom. On her desk was three bouquets of roses, a box of expensive chocolate, and a note that reads, _To my one and only angel. Meet you after school._

          Fuu looked around her and then caught Ferio's gaze. Normally, he looks away when it happens, but this time, he didn't. He just stood there, and smiled at her. She blushed. He winked. 'Could it be?' she asked herself.

          *                                              *                                              *

          Umi took a deep breath before entering their classroom. 'You can do this Umi-chan, just pretend that nothing happened…Pretend you didn't care…One…Two… Three… ' She then opened the door and walked in. 'Please let him not notice me…' Unfortunately, the first thing that happened was that their eyes locked. Umi almost gasped when she saw Clef's bruised face. 'No, don't frown, don't smile, just slowly look away…Remember, you don't care…There…now go to your seat and greet your friends.' "Ohayo Hikaru-chan, Fuu-chan…My, those are really nice Fuu-chan…" she said, referring to the flowers on Fuu's table.

          "I know, but the thing is that, I don't know where to put all them when classes starts. There just isn't any room on my table to write on."  
          "Well then we'll take one bouquet for each of us to keep until after class," Hikaru said. "Right Umi?"

          'He's looking at me…I can feel that he's looking at me…You don't care about him…It's better this way. At least he won't be able hurt you anymore, because you feel nothing…'

          "Umi-chan!"

          "Oh…ah…yes…"

          "Thank you…" Fuu said.

          *                                              *                                              *

          Hate is not the opposite of love…it's indifference…And that is what Umi is giving him now. 'It would have been easier if she just hated me,' Clef told himself. He then remembered what Umi told him at the camp, _'…there was nothing, not love, not even hate…'_ Now he understood what she meant.

          He had tried teasing her today; she didn't react like she always did. She didn't ignore him, but just said, "_Hello Clef-kun,"_ when he greeted her and called her Miss Sassy. He then asked her why she didn't tease him back…she just answered, _"I'm tired playing those childish games. Aren't you?" _There was no sign of anger, or hurt in her voice…there was only this icy tone that he just couldn't take. The look she gave him was even worse; it was not only chilly, but also unattached, as if her eyes were saying, '…you are nothing to me…' 

          And so he stood there, for a few minutes. He watched her as she walked away with her friends. "Umi-chan…" he whispered. "Will you ever reach out for my hand again?"


	24. Sefiro High Chapter 24

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Waahh! I guess Fanfiction.net got abooboo last time I checked it Nevermind. Here is a new chapter…

          Fuu saw Ferio waiting for her outside their room. After saying goodbye to her friends, she approached him. "Ferio-san…"

          "Hello Fuu, did you like my gifts?"

          "Yes, thank you, Ferio-san…"

          "Lots more to come…"

          "A-anou…you don't have to…"

          "I want to…Anyway, let me carry your bag for you," Ferio said as he noticed Fuu struggling to carry the bouquets on one hand and her bag on the other. "Uh Fuu-chan…"

          "Yes, Ferio-san?"

          "I was wondering if you would go on a date with me?"

          "D-date?"

          "Date as in real date…you and me together…watch movies, eat out, arcade, karaoke or anywhere you want…you know 'date'?"

          "I know what a date is silly…"

          "So, what'dya say?"

          "Well…I…ok…"

          "Great," he said, took her hand and smiled.

          *                                               *                                               *

          Clef sat silently on his own in a grassy area overlooking the man-made lake at the local park. He lay down on his back and looked at the sky above him. He hadn't been aware of his continuous sighing. 

"Boo!" He found himself looking at Presea.  He sat up in surprise. "Hey. You don't look quite good. Actually, you look awful…" she told him.

"Obviously I don't!" Clef snapped at her. Realizing what he just did, he apologized, "Sorry Presea-chan, I don't really feel good today."

"So I see…What happened to your face?" 

"Oh this?…Nothing, Ascot and I had a little misunderstanding yesterday."

"So little that he beat you up that much huh? I don't remember him being that violent…Are you two okay now?"

"Yeah we are…told you it was just a little misunderstanding."

"So there's a different reason why you're sulking huh? Don't tell me it's a girl…" Clef looked at her, and then she knew, it was a girl… "My, my…It's Umi right?"

"How'd you know?"

"I just felt like she's the reason that's all…Call it intuition…Felt you like her a lot since that time she kinda walked out all of a sudden when we were shopping."

          "Oh that…"

          "Yeah…So what, she dumped you or something?"

          "Not really…Besides, I haven't told her my feelings…"

          "Why not tell her then?"

          "Don't know…"

          "So, tell her!"

          "Well, it's not that easy…"

          "Why not?"

          "Oh well, I guess I should tell you the whole story…See, you do know that Ascot is like so into Umi even before right?"

          "Yeah…"

          "He just suddenly asked me if I like Umi and I denied it…coz well you know, he likes her too…Anyway he was getting persistent asking me what I thought of her and all. I don't know why but I got really pissed off and told Ascot that I think Umi is a 'whining, spoiled, and annoying brat'."

          "Tsk-tsk that's not nice…"

          "Umi was actually almost walking towards us with her friends and they all heard the whole thing. Ascot was really pissed off coz Umi looked realy hurt and I got this…" Clef pointed at his face. "Now…"

          "She's angry?"  
          "No, much worse…"

          "Huh?"

          "She's been acting very, very cold…not as in angry-cold, it's more of like uncaring-cold. It would have been much better if she got angry at me. At least I might be able to do something to allay it. I don't like it Presea, her apathy is more than I can take…"

          "You do care for her a lot don't you?"

          Clef nodded. "More than that actually…"

          "Masaka! You mean, you're actually…" Presea gasped. Clef nodded again. "My, she's really lucky…" She frowned, softly she said, "I envy her…"

          "What do you mean?"

          "She didn't have to try…while me…Maa--- why am I telling you this?…Demo, suki da yo!" Clef looked at her with surprise in his eyes. "I've always liked you…loved you…I thought one day, you'd actually do like me too…"

          "Presea-chan…"

          "No don't say anything…just listen…listen to me…I need to tell you this now, so I can get it out of my system and forget you…We've always been friends, you and I…We're so alike, we like the same things…You know…Maybe that's why I liked, no… loved you…I had longed for the day that you'd actually see me, more than a friend. But that day at the mall, when you ran after her…I had the feeling, that day would not come…And now…"

          "Pre---"

          "…Listen to me Clef…I have this one favor to ask. Think of it as a last consolation for a girl who had always loved you…please don't let me down…"

          "I…anything…"

          "Go get her Clef…Be happy for me…Please? Don't give up on your happiness Clef. Do all you can, so she can hear your heart calling out her name…"

          "Presea-chan…" 

          She stood up and said, "Do it for me…and for yourself…" Clef nodded. Presea smiled, turned around and looked away. "Sayonara, Clef-kun…" That moment, both of them knew, that even the friendship they had, was over. She actually said goodbye.

          *                                               *                                               *

          Lantis looked at Hikaru and noticed that she looked really worried. "Is there something wrong?" he asked her. 

          "I am worried about Umi-chan…"

          "Ryuuzaki-san?"

          "Yes…" And then she said, "I know her heart is breaking and I can do anything about it…"

          Lantis smiled and then lifted her chin up. "Don't be sad…Tell me about it…"

          "I still don't understand it Lantis…Umi liked Clef a lot, Clef seemed to care a lot about her too. And yet, he still said bad things about her…She heard him say she's spoiled and a whiner to Ascot. He also sounded so irritated."

          Lantis frowned. "When did this happen?"

          "Well yesterday when we were walking home. We heard Ascot asking Clef of what he thinks of Umi-chan."

          "I see…Does Ascot like Umi too?"

          "Hmm?…I think so, Ascot always stares at her and gets shy when Umi is around."

          "I understand now."

          "Tell me?"

          "Well, maybe Clef is lying and was just trying to hide what he really feels. That is why he sounded irritated."

          "Why did he do that?" 

"…Because Ascot is his friend, and he doesn't want Ascot to know his feelings because Ascot might be hurt if he finds out…He just kept his own feelings for himself in favor of his friend. And I guess the reason why Clef said awful things is that he felt pressured."

          "What would you have done if you and Eagle-sempai like the same girl?"

          "I don't know Hikaru-chan…but it would be really hard for me to give the girl up when she means a lot to me."

          *                                               *                                               *

          Umi sighed, she could not believe it, she survived this day. She actually managed to suppress her emotions, to act that she doesn't care about him. 'I did it…Soon I don't have to pretend…Soon…'

          She closed her eyes. A picture of Clef appeared in her mind. He looked so sad…She felt a weird ache inside her chest…as if it was coming from her heart. 'No… Why am I feeling this way? Why is he so sad?…Did I hurt him?'

          'No..more…' But the ache didn't seem to go away, and Clef's sad face that she saw when she left him, was still there, haunting her… 'I won't let you hurt me anymore!' she cried.

          _'…I don't want to see you cry, Umi-chan…' _

'Why do you look so sad, Clef?' 

          _'…Everything will be alright…All you have to do now, is take my hand…'_

'It's not alright…because you…'

          _"Umi is a whining, spoiled, annoying brat, that's what she is!"_

          '…You're a liar Clef!' Umi said, tears on her eyes. 'Wait and see Clef, I'll get over you somehow…' And with that last thought she drifted into a deep slumber. 

          *                                               *                                     *


	25. Sefiro High Chapter 25

          It's a beautiful Sunday morning and Hikaru had decided to go jogging. "Maa—it looks like it's going to be a very good day!" 

          "Hikaru-chan!" She turned around and saw Eagle jog towards her. "It's a beautiful day isn't it?" He told her with a smile. "Can I keep you company? That is unless of course you want to go jogging alone…"

           "I don't mind, Eagle-sempai…" she replied and continued her exercise. 

          "There's the sempai-thing again…"Eagle said with a false pout as he joined her. Hikaru giggled. "You know, this gives me an idea…Why don't we arrange you and Lantis to go jogging together?"

          "Do real couples do that? I mean…wouldn't it be too much? We almost go everywhere together already."

          "Real couples do almost everything together, especially when they are very much in love…See if you were my girlfriend I don't think I'd let you out of my sight.." he replied with a wink.

          Hikaru found herself blushing again. 'Why do he always make me blush?'

          Eagle, noticing the sudden flush of red on Hikaru's cheeks, decided to keep quiet. Deep inside he was smiling and it took him a lot of willpower to stop himself from teasing her again and making her blush. 'She's so cute when she blushes like that…' 

          Both had been silent after that though. And yet different thoughts had been going in and out of their minds. 'His hair looks almost white in bright sunshine…'

          'I'm beginning to regret that deal I had with Lantis…'

          'I feel weird…the same thing I feel when I am with Lantis…'

          'She's really cute…'

          'He's really handsome…'

          'Being with her makes me feel complete…'

          'I feel comfortable whenever he's with me…'

          When they reached the part of the park overlooking the man-made lake, they both stopped to take a rest. "Thirsty?" Eagle asked her. The girl shook her head.

          "Maybe later, I'll just sit here for a while…"

          "I'll sit here with you then."

          "Eagle-sempai…"

          "Hmm?"

          "Have you ever been in love?"

          Eagle flinched. For the first time, he was actually speechless. It took him a minute to recover before he was able to answer her question. "Well, I guess I have…"

          "How does it feel like?"

          "Nani?!" Eagle exclaimed. Hikaru's questions were beginning to get him really uneasy.

          "Nevermind…It's just that I want to know…Umi told me that I think like a kid…so I'm kind of dense…and all…"

          "Well…it's really kind of contradicting…"

          "Contradicting?"

          "Yes, the things it makes you feel…"

          "Like?"

          "Well, your heart feels both heavy and light at the same time…and it seems like it's aching but it feels good…" When he looked at Hikaru, he could see the confused look in her face.

          "It sounds weird!"

          "It feels weirder…" Eagle told her. "It's really hard to explain Hikaru-chan…"

          "Tell me more! Like what you feel when you see her…"

          "You're the one making me blush now Hikaru-chan!" Eagle said, again with a fake pout. 

          "Tell, tell, tell!!!"

          "Well…"

          "Well???"

          "Well it's like this…" He stopped to think for a while. "How can I start?…Let me see…Hmm…Oh like when I see her smile I get really happy, and I feel like I have butterflies in my stomach…fluttery feeling kinda…And well…I always want to be with her…and…My heart seems to beat really fast…and well…I'm most vulnerable when I'm with her…"

          "Vulnerable?"

          "Yes…I get weak…and when I look in her eyes, suddenly, everything around me seems to be really beautiful…" He didn't really mean to, but he couldn't help to look at her with love in his eyes. His hand reached out to touch her cheek. "…Everything starts to look so perfect…" At that moment, he wanted to hold her and tell her how he really felt, because the way she looked back at him, he saw a glimmer of hope for himself.

          Hikaru started feeling weird again the moment Eagle's hand touched her cheek. She could hear her heart beat fast, could feel the heavy-light, fluttery feeling inside her…She knew she had to move away, but she found herself just sitting there…Until a picture of Lantis appeared in her mind, out of nowhere. The feeling seemed to have disappeared after that.

          The glimmer was gone. Eagle saw it disappear and moved his hand away from her. He then stood up and then said, "Let's have that drink now shall we? I suddenly felt so thirsty." He let out a soft laugh. "Maybe it's from talking too much." 

He felt a tug of guilt inside him. He nearly betrayed his friend…

          *                                               *                                               *

          After trying almost every attraction in Tokyo Disneyland, Fuu asked Ferio if they can just sit somewhere for a while. They both sat quietly for a while.  

"You're trying too hard Ferio-san…" he suddenly heard Fuu say. 

          "Huh?"

          "I said, you're trying too hard."

          "What do you mean?"

          "The gifts…the expensive date…everything…You're trying too hard…"

          Ferio frowned. This isn't what he had expected. He thought girls liked to be overly pampered, liked to be given lots of things… "Y-you don't like it?" he stammered. 'Maybe the silver-haired senior had taken her heart after all…'

          "Actually, I loved it very much…Demo…"

          "What is it you want Fuu? Tell me anything, I'd give it to you…"

          "Why are you doing all this?"

          "What?"

          "I just wanna know why, that's all…"

          Ferio sighed and then started saying, "I saw you with that senior, what's his name…Vision? I think you were having a double-date and all…And you seemed too happy and well I, I wanted to make you happier…"

          "Oh Ferio-san!" she said and then started giggling.

"What now?" Ferio scowled.

"That wasn't a double-date!"

"It wasn't?"

"No it wasn't." Fuu replied and smiled. 'He'd been jealous…He'd been actually jealous! It could only mean…'

"Dang!"

Fuu smiled again and then started saying, "Besides, you don't have to do all this just to make me happy…I-I just want to hear the words…" Fuu blushed. "…t-that's all."

"Fuu-chan…" He saw her nod her head and smile. "You didn't know?"

"How would I know? You haven't told me?"

"I love you my angel…"

"I love you too." 

*                                               *                                               *


	26. Sefiro High Chapter 26

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Lalalalala…the last chappie was kinda short wasn't it? Anyway, fanks fer the nice reviews. It's Hikaru feeling the fluttery feeling with Lantis this time! Enjoy ^_~!!!

Lantis met her a few blocks away her house as usual. He took her bag from her hand as if it was the most natural thing to do. He then asked her how her weekend had been. 

"It was really okay," she replied. 

"What did you do?"

"Nothing much, I didn't go out or anything, except when I went jogging yesterday morning..." she said avoiding his gaze. Why did it seem as if she wouldn't want to tell him when she went jogging with Eagle?

"I see…You left home earlier today than the usual…"

"I just had to get away from my brothers this morning…They seem to be very hyper today and I fear that they'll pinch my cheeks too much again," she answered with a giggle. "I didn't know you wait for me so early, Lantis-kun…"

"I wouldn't want to miss you just in case you feel like going to school early."

"You really don't have to do this everyday…"She suddenly stopped when she caught him staring at her. She tried not to, but she ended staring back at him. 'Oh no! It's this feeling again…' Her heart started beating fast all of a sudden. She found herself lost in pool of his purple eyes. How many times had this happened to her? She saw him smile at her…That smile that can easily make her heart flutter. 

"You're so beautiful, Hikaru-chan…" Lantis murmured. He brushed away some hairstrands away from her face. 

His touch gave a certain warm sensation inside her. 'He called me beautiful.' Happiness added to the certain feeling she was having at that moment. 'He really did think I'm beautiful!' She felt like heart is going to burst with happiness.

"We're getting near the school now…" he told her. After that, he took her hand. "People might think we had a lover's quarrel or something…" he explained.

Hikaru bowed down her head so he would not see her frown. 'Quit daydreaming Hikaru…' a voice inside her mind said. 'Maybe he didn't mean what he said…about me being beautiful…Maybe it's just for the show…'. The happiness she felt a while ago was replaced by insecurity…

"What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing! Hehehehe!!!"

"You seem to be thinking a lot these days…"

"I-it's nothing…"

"Are you sure?"

"Y-yes I'm sure."

Lantis saw someone biking carelessly towards Hikaru, and with great speed at that. He pulled the unaware girl towards him and into his arms. "Stupid bastard…didn't he know he's gonna hit someone?" He smiled when he realized that he was actually embracing Hikaru though. He decided not to let go for her maybe for a while and cherish the moment. 

'I could hear his heart beating…' Hikaru thought. 'It feels so nice…' With her heartbeat racing, her stomach fluttering, and her knees getting weak, she was starting to think that she might faint on him. She felt something more than that…she wanted to stay like this with him forever. She looked up to his face, and found him looking back at her. He smiled. She blushed. 

He touched her cheek. "Are you alright?" She nodded, tongue-tied and lost in his eyes. "Are you sure?" She nodded again. 

Suddenly aware where she was, she pulled against him hurriedly. She felt as if she had to struggle just to be able to speak. "I'm okay now really. Thanks."

He didn't want to let go of her, but he knew he had to. He took her hand again instead and held it tight. After a few more minutes, they arrived at the school. He walked with her to her classroom and saw the assigned group for that day getting the room ready for the class ahead. "You'd better stay here until they've finished."

"Yes, I know. You go ahead now, I'll be okay."

"I was actually thinking of keeping you company…until Primera comes," Lantis said, grinning. The two suddenly noticed that her classmates had been passing by them too frequently. They laughed. "Your classmates are really curious lots aren't they?" he whispered to her ear. "I bet someone is even eavesdropping near the door…"

Hikaru nodded and giggled. "Let's give them a show," Hikaru whispered back, blushing when she realized what she said. 

"Yes, we shouldn't disappoint them…" Lantis' eyes glittered with mischief. "…Besides, my love, you know how much I want to spend time with you. Don't you want to be with me?" he spoke loud enough so that others can hear. 

"Well of course I do love. What kind of question is that?"

"You're really beautiful, my love…"

"You told me that already…"

"Well then I'll tell you again… You're very beautiful… I've always thought you were."

"Really?"

"Of course! The first time I saw you I knew you're the one for me…"

"But I was clumsy…"

"You were cute…you still are by the way…"

"Uhm…anou…excuse me," they heard a voice behind them say. "A-anou, Hikaru-chan, you can go inside now, we're finished. Sorry if I bothered you, Sol-sempai."

"Oh well, I guess I'll just see you at lunch?" Hikaru told him.

"Yes love…"  Hikaru felt Lantis' lips touch her forehead. The movement was so swift that she didn't have time to react. "Ja ne!" he said, as he walked away, waving his hand.

'He kissed me…' 

She must have stood there frozen in her place for a while, that her classmate was actually waving her hand in front of Hikaru's face. "You're acting as if he never kissed you before Hikaru-chan…" she heard her classmate say.

"Uh…Who?"

"Your boyfriend…"

"Uh…heheheeh…Don't be so ridiculous…Can I go inside now? Hehehehe…" Shaking all over, her whole body in a deep shade of red, and her knees wobbling, she managed to run inside her classroom

*                                     *                                     *

"Masaka!!!! You mean, you and Ferio are…" Umi gasped.

"Please Umi-san, not too loud!" Fuu said.

"Congratulations, Fuu-chan," Hikaru told her. 

"You don't look as cheerful as you usually are…" Fuu pressed her palm on Hikaru's forehead. "Mild fever?"

"I'm not sick, Fuu-chan…"

"Had an argument with Lantis-sempai?"

"No…actually he's awfully sweet to me today…"

"Had a fight with your brothers?"

"No…" She let out a loud sigh. "I just feel weird…"

"I think you should go to the clinic Hikaru-chan…"

"But I told you I am not sick…"

"Ne, Fuu-chan…"

"What is it Umi-san?"

"I think she's…" Umi whispered the rest of her sentence to Fuu. Fuu widened her eyes as a reaction.

"Probably…Hmm, Hikaru-san…"

"Eh?"

"Do you feel weak?" Hikaru nodded. "You feel warm all over?"

"Kind of…"

"Light-headed?"

"Yeah…"

"Your attention span seemed to have shorten and you'd rather look out of the window and think of something else?"

"Yes…"

"…Specially a dark-haired senior…" Umi interrupted.

"Umi-san!" Fuu scolded her.

"Or a silver-haired young man…"

          "Umi-san…"

          "Okay, okay…You haven't been doodling hearts in the back of your notebook haven't you?"

          Hikaru blushed and answered, "Well…actually…"

          "Aha!"

          "Does your heart seem to get hyper-active too often these past few days?"

          "Uh-huh…"

          "Well then it's obvious then…"

          "What?"

          "You have love-fever," Umi informed her friend. 

          "WHAT!?"

          "What you need is tender loving care from your special someone and you'll be alright…A nice kiss would be very helpful…"

          "It's the kiss that made it worse in the first place…" Hikaru mumbled.

          "Nani??? Sol-sempai kissed you?" 

          "Uh…Hehehehe…Well…Just a tiny peck on my forehead…Oh geez…" Hikaru suddenly didn't feel good again.

*                                              *                                               *

          "Umi-chan!"  Clef called out to her. She was with her friends as usual. The three girls then turned around to see who was calling Umi. He ran towards them and then said, "Umi-chan, can I talk to you…alone?"

          "Well I…"

          "Anou, I have to go and meet Ferio-san…" Fuu said.

          "I need to go also, Lantis-kun and Eagle-sempai are waiting for me…"

          "It's ok guys…You go ahead," Umi told her friends. 'Please don't make me break down…' Fuu and Hikaru said goodbye and then left. "What is it Clef?"

          "I just wanna say that..."

          "Well…"

          "I just want to say that what you heard…I mean, what you heard me tell Ascot…"

          "Yes?"

          "…I didn't mean it really…it's just…"

          "Oh that…don't worry it's nothing…"

          "NO! No…I'm really sorry, I really didn't mean all those things…I wish we can get back to what we had before that day…"

          "We didn't have anything…"

          "Umi-chan…that friendship was special…"

          "You must have misunderstood Clef. I had confided in you because you were there…It could have been anybody…But really, thanks for the help Clef…"

          "Umi-chan…"

          "Do not worry if you had hurt my feelings Clef. You didn't. Actually you made me see how other people do look at me. I whine about many things, and I had been spoiled. All you said was true…"

          "I told you I didn't mean it! That wasn't the way I look at you."

          "Whatever…If you feel that guilty, then I forgive you…There, feel better now?"

          "Umi-chan…"

          "I really have to go now…" She turned around. She knew that if she stayed longer with him, the walls she had built around her heart would crumble. She had vowed to get over him and that is what she'll do. But when she felt him take her hand, pull her towards him and touch his lips on hers, she knew, she had lost the fight. The kiss was warm, and she felt herself slowly falling…

          "I love you Umi-chan…Please don't go…" he murmured to her ears. He held her close to him, frightened to let go. "Ascot loved you too see, and I didn't want him to get hurt…I tried to deny what I feel for you…but I can't…that's why…I told him those things…I didn't know you were there…"

          "Clef…-kun…"

          "Please believe me Umi…I have never felt this way before…"

          "I…"

          "If I did hurt you before, then get angry…shout at me, hit me if you want, call me a grumpy old man, I don't care…Just don't be cold to me Umi…I can take everything, everything except apathy…" he begged. 

          When she looked at him, she saw his face was filled with tears. 'He's crying…because of me? Does that mean he really loves me…?' "Clef…You baka…" 

          "I'm really sorry Umi-chan…"

          "Baka! Baka!" she said, hitting his chest… crying. "You're a grumpy, insensitive old man! You didn't know how much it hurts…You didn't know how long I've waited…"

          "I'm sorry…I'm sorry I made you cry…I don't want you to cry…I promise you Umi-chan, I won't do it again…Do you believe me?"

          "I believe you…I love you Clef."

          Finally he let her go. He held out his hand to her, as she did before. "Let's go Umi-chan."

          And she took his hand, just as before.


	27. Sefiro High Chapter 27

        Lantis' smile faded when he noticed Hikaru being not as preppy as usual. "Are you alright?"

          Eagle seemed to have noticed the same thing so he put his hand on Hikaru's forehead to see if she has fever. "You're not sick…Any problems?"

          "No, it's nothing. I guess I'm just tired…" she murmured. "Thanks…"

          "Are you sure?" Lantis asked.

          Forcing a smile, Hikaru answered, "Of course!" The truth is that, she was just feeling tensed being with the two young men. The thought that she might be in love with one of them made her not only nervous, but utterly confused and it's draining her energy.

          The two seniors looked at each other and then to Hikaru. Eagle then shrugged and then said, "Whatever you say…"

          "Maybe we should walk you home now…" Lantis suggested. "You really don't look well to me…Wait maybe I should go get my car…"

          "Mou. I'm not sick!"

          "Sure you aren't…" Eagle said. "Go get the car Lantis…Don't worry Lantis, I'll take care of our little princess here until you get back," Eagle said with a smirk. Hikaru blushed again. Lantis nodded and then left. Hikaru let out a yawn and then sighed. Eagle patted his shoulders and said, "You can lean on me and take a nap Hikaru-chan. You really look tired."

          "*Yawn* It's ok. I'm…*yawn*…"

          "Stop being so stubborn. I'll wake you up when Lantis comes back…"

          "But…"

          "You have two choices, lean on my shoulder or lie on my lap…either way you are going to take a little snooze." Hikaru blushed, put her head on Eagle's shoulder and closed her eyes. 

*                           *                            *

          Lantis found Hikaru sleeping on Eagle's shoulder when he got back. His friend saw him approach though and gave him an irritating grin. "Don't start with me…" Lantis told him. 

          "What did I do?"

          "Shuttup and take that silly grin off your face. She looked so tired…Maybe you shouldn't wake her up."

          "I promised her I would when you get back."

          "Oh well…"

          "Hikaru-chan…Hikaru-chan wake up…"

          "Hmmm…" she murmured.

          "Hikaru-chan, Lantis is here…He's gonna drive you home now…"

          Slowly she opened her eyes and saw Eagle and Lantis staring at her. "Lantis?" She blinked her eyes.  "Lantis…"

          "I'm gonna take you home…"

          "Eagle-sempai isn't going to come with us?"

          "His car is only fit for two silly…and besides, I have to go somewhere else…You two run along now. See ya!"

          After saying their goodbyes to Eagle, Lantis led Hikaru to the car. Hikaru noticed that Lantis had been frowning the whole time. Little did she know that he was actually jealous seeing her sleeping comfortably on Eagle's shoulder.

          "I'm really okay, Lantis-kun…" she told him, hoping that it would ease his mind.

          He looked at her for a while and mentally kicked himself. His facial expression then eased up which made Hikaru glad. After a few minutes, they arrived to the Shidou residence. 

          "Would you want to come inside?" Hikaru asked the young man beside her.

          "Well…I don't think it would be…"

          "Why, Hikaru-chan…" her mother said when she opened the door. "You're home earlier than usual…"

          "She's sick…" Lantis managed to reply.

          "Mou! I told you I'm not sick…"

          "So she says…"

          "Ah…where's my manners? Do please come in eto…"

          "Sol. Lantis Kyle Sol. Please call my Lantis."

          "Oh Lantis, do come in…Your brothers haven't come home yet Hikaru-chan…which is kind of good. I wonder how they'd take you bringing a handsome young man here."

          Hikaru blushed and exclaimed, "Okaa-san!"

          "Sol…Now where did I hear that name before…?"

          "My brother is the headmaster of our school Mrs. Shidou."

          "Oh I see now. Would you like something to drink?"

          "No, I will be going soon…Thank you."

          "I know it must be rude…but I really have to ask this…Are you my daughter's boyfriend?"

          "OKAAAA-SANNNN!!!!"

          "I'm just a close friend of hers, Mrs. Shidou…" _…Well, kind of…_he bit his tongue just in case he does blurt it out. "I am also the captain of the kendo club…"

          "Oh, I'm so sorry."

          "I have to go now…My brother is going out tonight and someone has to be at home."

*                      *                      *

It was one of those nights where Zagato took Emeraude out on a date. He was very much convinced that weather seemed to have approved of him and his plan. The stars shone brighter than usual, and it made him glad. 'Tonight is going to be a special night indeed,' he told himself. 

          He took her to one of those little parks in Tokyo overlooking the Tokyo Bay after they had finished eating dinner at some French restaurant. He wanted to make this a special night for the both of them. 

          "Remember this place, my love?" he asked Emeraude who was holding his hand.

          "Yes…you took me here on our first date as a couple…" Yes, she remembered. She remembers it so well that it seemed as if it was just the day before, and not years ago. Those were the days when they were both young and carefree and very much in love. Both of them were in their early years in college. Later on they became the university's  'perfect couple'. 

          "A penny for your thoughts?" he told her with a smile. "I believe you just zoned out on me…"

          "I was just thinking how many girls have you taken here…" she said in a jokingly manner.

          "Well if you really want to know, I haven't taken anybody here before I took you here…and nobody else after…after you went away…" he regretted to not have been able to control the sadness in his voice when he mentioned her departure. It was true though, there were never other women. It's always been just Emeraude, even when she left, it's still her. He didn't try dating other women to forget her. The truth is that he didn't want to forget her. 

          When she left, he felt guilt for making her wait too long. Thinking that she needed space, he forced himself not to look for her. He worked hard and after he succeeded in saving his family's heritage from bankruptcy, it was only then that he had hired people to see how she had been going. He had even arranged that she would work in his school by convincing her former employees to persuade her to accept their "recommendation" for a place in his institution. She was, one of the best instructors in their school, after all.

          From then on, Zagato had vowed that he'd do all he can to make her fall for him again and do all he can so that she would never leave his side, ever again. And what he had failed to do before, he will do now. Taking the velvet box out of his pocket, he opened it and then said, "Emeraude, will you marry me?" He knew that his actions had surprised her. Tears started to flow on her cheeks, and with a smile she simply nodded. After getting her answer, he swiftly kissed her lips, and held her tight.

*                                     *                                     *

           Hikaru sighed and stood up from her bed. "Argh!!! I hate this!!!" She felt so drained of energy and yet she couldn't sleep. She silently went out of her room and into the dojo, secretly took her wooden sword and then went outside. It was a beautiful night. The sky was very clear and the moon was bright that she didn't need another light-source. "My brothers would really think I'm nuts when they find out I'm practicing kendo at this time of night…"

          After a few swings of her sword, she gave up. Kendo is about concentration and that is what she didn't have now. She sat on the steps outside her house and looked up the sky. 

          The things she had been feeling was exactly what Eagle described to her. There is no doubt that she is in love. The problem is, she feels those emotions when she's with the two seniors. "…So now it's even affecting my sleeping habits!"

          She sighed again and came up with an idea… 'Maybe if I'm not that confused it wouldn't have been that bad…Maaa…I have to figure out who I love more now!…But it's hard…'

          She could still remember the questions her friends asked her._ "Okay, who among the two you're reallllly more comfortable with?"_ She closed her eyes and pondered. 'Eagle teases me a lot but really shows that he cares about me…and Lantis…well he makes sure that everything is okay…and takes care of me a lot' 

_"…Who do you think is more handsome?"_ The figure of the two young men suddenly appeared in her mind. Both males are of the same height, and same body-build. Lantis has black hair, which contrasts with Eagle's silver one. Lantis have deep purple eyes while Eagle has shiny brown ones…Both men are equally attractive to her physically.

_"Who do you like to be with more?"_ Eagle is fun to be with, he jokes about things a lot, like marrying her if she and Lantis do "break up". They both like the same things…especially food. He is very friendly, not only to her but everybody else. He opens up his feelings easily, like when she asked him if he had been in love. At that time, when he touched her cheek, for a moment there, she let him, because it felt good. He was looking at her as if… 'Masaka! Does that mean that he…that I…he…loves…?' She shook her head as if trying to make that thought disappear. She forced herself to continue to ponder about the last question.

'What about Lantis?' Lantis takes care of her. He makes sure that she's comfortable with everything. He doesn't smile much as Eagle does, but he does smile when he's with her. And that makes her glad; she wants him to smile more often. He never forgets to compliment her, and treats her as one would treat a lady. He protects her, like an older brother would… like what he did this morning…when she nearly got run over by a bike…At that time, she wanted him to hold her forever…She hadn't been aware of anything, except him holding her…

Her eyes widened as she came to her conclusion. 'I love both of them…I really do love both of them…Demo…' She looked up the sky again, and whispered the name of the boy she loved more.


	28. Sefiro High Chapter 28

          Today is not the typical school day for the students of Sefiro High. It was a day for the preparation for the _bunkasai_, or the school festival. Schools usually have it in autumn, but then, the institution always wanted to be different one way or the other, so they set it up a few weeks before the summer break. 

          The _bunkasai_ in Sefiro High is a 3-day celebration. That is why, students are given a day or more to prepare. Each class and club has to have an 'event' of some sort. The classrooms have to be cleaned, and decorated, booths have to be set up, and the halls should be scrubbed clean. Too much work has to be done, but students don't mind because they are having fun.

          Class 1-A decided to have a sort of a café. Everybody had already been assigned on what they are going to do. They had requested Umi to supervise the food preparation since she is the most skillful in that category. After planning on the design they want to have for their classroom, the class started to have a general cleaning. 

          "Are your brothers coming over, Hikaru-san?" Fuu asked. 

          "Knowing them, they won't miss it. I think they're gonna bring okaa-san."

          "That's nice…How about your dad?"

          "Dad has gone to one of those journeys again. He's been like that since he passed that National Kendo Examination."

          "Err…What's that?" Ferio asked, popping out from nowhere, and smiling sweetly at Fuu.

          "It's an examination for kendo masters, so that they can get the highest title a kendo master can have. Only 2 people pass the test out of hundreds, at least in average…sometimes nobody does…It's said to be the hardest examination one can take around the world," Fuu explained. "Anyway you have to have a high title to be able to qualify. There's even an age requirement for that…nobody below 40 I think is allowed to take the exam."

          "Wow! So you're dad was able to pass that?"

          "Yeah, I'm really proud of him, he's the youngest kendo master that had ever passed it…Anyway, I don't know when he'll be back."

          "Oi Ferio! Get your butt over here! We still have lots to do!" Clef shouted from the other side of the room. He also gave Umi a wink and continued on what he was doing.

          "So, you and Clef are really ok now?" Hikaru asked the blushing Umi.

          "I think they are more than ok now," Fuu said smiling. "Well, Umi-san?"

          "Well…" Umi said, her face in a deeper shade of red. "…Clef and me are…you know…"

          "Wow! Really? How come I didn't know that?" Hikaru's friends face-faulted upon hearing this.

          "It's because you haven't been yourself these past few days," Fuu replied.

          "Oh yeah…"

          "Can you tell us what happened?"

          "Well…" she started to say, until she remembered that she had to first look around her to make sure that nobody else would hear what she was going to say. "…I had been thinking about lots of stuff lately and it kind of confused the heck out of me…"

          "Stuff?"

          "You know, about love…and Eagle and Lantis…"

          "You look fine now though, does that mean you had finally got a conclusion?" Fuu asked.

          "Yes…"

          "So…"

          "Well, it's like this. The first thing that confused me was the thought that I might be in love with them both. Since I do get the fuzzy feelings when I am with both of them. We all know that it's not really possible…But the truth is, I do love both of them…"

          "What??? But you have to love one more …"

          "Wait, I'm not finished yet. Last night when I was thinking, I thought that I love them both at the same way…and I just had to find out whom I love more. And when I've finally chosen, it made me realize that I was wrong. I am _in love_ with only one of them. The other one I love in a different way and I didn't have to be confused at the first place."

          "…But you just said you love them both?"

          "I love Eagle not only as a very close friend but because he reminds me of my love for Lantis. That is because both of them are alike in many ways. When I see Eagle, I see Lantis. And it is Lantis that I am in love with. It's always been him. "

          "And you figured it out last night? After you have chosen and not before?" Fuu asked.

          "Well, coz I was just too stuck with the idea of loving both of them in the same way."

          "So what made you think you love Lantis more then?"

          "I remembered the incident yesterday morning when we were walking to school, I nearly got hit by a bike until Lantis pulled me towards him. And he held me really tight…And when he was holding me, I wanted it to last forever, I never felt like that way with Eagle."

          "I see…"

          "And there's another thing…which made me realize that I wasn't really _in love_ with Eagle…"

          "And that is?"

          "I don't see Eagle when Lantis smiles at me." 

*                                     *                                     *

          Lantis had not been in his best mood lately. He had been this way this morning after he walked with Hikaru to school. The reason? Hikaru had been acting a little bit strange. Hell, she wouldn't even look at him in the eye.  He felt as if she didn't want to be with him. 

          His feeling was confirmed during lunchtime when he and Eagle visited her classroom. She had been talking casually to Eagle but was very hesitant in talking to him. When he tried smiling at her, she looked away. 

          "Ch…" he said. "What did I do now?"

          "If you think like that too much you're going to get old quite fast," Eagle told him as he walked towards Lantis.

          "I really don't get it, Eagle."  
          "Don't get what?"

          "Why is she acting like that?"

          "Like what?"

          "Like different…"

          "I don't think she is…"

          "Didn't you notice how she avoided talking to me?"

          "Hmm…"

          "See, now you do…"

          "Want me to talk to her?"

          "Thanks Eagle…"

*                                              *                                               *

          Hikaru didn't mean to act differently with Lantis. But when she was finally aware of the feeling she had for the young man, she couldn't help but get tensed when he is around. 

          Instead of finding him waiting for her, she saw Eagle instead. "Eagle-sempai…" 

          "Hello, Hikaru-chan."

          "Where's Lantis-kun?"

          "Actually, he sent me here…"

          "Why?"

          "I should really be asking you that…"

          "Anou…I can't really tell here…"

          "Meet me at the rooftop," he told her. "You go there first, I'll follow you in a while. You know how rumor spreads here. We wouldn't want people telling that we're cheating on Lantis or anything…"

          Hikaru nodded and went ahead. After a few minutes, Eagle came. "Hi again Eagle-sempai…" 

          He led her at the opposite side of the entrance, just to be safe. "So tell me…"

          "We'll, it's like this…A-anou…I'm in love with Lantis-kun." Eagle couldn't help feeling hurt of what he had heard. When Hikaru saw this, she quickly apologized, "I'm sorry…I knew it would hurt you…"

          "So you know…how I feel about you?"

          Hikaru nodded. "It look long for me to realize, but I did last night. I'm really sorry, sempai…"

          "It doesn't matter now…You love him. I am glad…"

          "Yes I'm in love with him. I realized it last night also. And this morning when I saw him…I was scared…"

          "Scared of what Hikaru-chan?"

          "The feeling is too strong for me, sempai. I was scared that if I start to speak to him I might blurt everything out. And deep inside I feel he cannot love me back. Because…because…" and with that she started crying.

          "Hikaru-chan…" Eagle said, he then pulled her towards him and held her in a tight embrace. "Don't cry…"

          "He won't love me, sempai…And I want him to love me…"

          "Shhh…"

          "What will I do?"

          "See, remember when we had the camping trip? Lantis and I had a deal about you. I told him, he should never make you cry, or I'll take you away…And he promised me that he wouldn't…You know why we made that deal, Hikaru? It's because we're both in love with you. So please don't cry now…He loves you too…"

          "He…loves me?"

          "Please don't cry anymore…or I'll be forced to take what he owes me since you're crying because of him now…Please?"

          Hikaru's sobs became slowly became controlled. Eagle didn't let her go and kept comforting her. They stood like that for a while, until they heard someone drop a can behind them. It was then that they saw Lantis standing there, looking very shocked.

*                                     *                                     *

          Lantis looked at his watch. 'They're taking too long…' He dropped by the vending machine to get a drink since he was quite thirsty before he decided to go to the rooftop. "Damn it!" he swore under his breath. "That's several floors up!"

          He continued on his way. He opened the door and looked around. He tried to look at the opposite side of the entrance and then he saw them.

          Eagle was holding Hikaru in a very tight embrace. He was caressing her hair and she didn't seem to mind. It was at that time that Lantis dropped the can he was holding out of shock. 

          The first thought that went to his mind was that, 'I'd better get out of here.' And he did. He ran as fast as he could.

*                                     *                                     *

          "Maa…I think we do have a big trouble here now…" Eagle said.

          "What do I do?"

          "Run after him, I guess… tell him how you feel…I don't think he can listen to anybody else…not even to me…But he'll listen to you, because he loves you." Hikaru understood. 

          So she ran after him. 'Please let make him listen…' Some seniors and told her she saw him near their building. So she went there. She found him at a fountain beside the senior's hall. He was sitting there, with a bird perched on his hand. "Lantis…" she started to say.

          The bird on his hand flew away, and he didn't dare look at her even if he knew she was there. He just suddenly asked her, "Remember the time when you asked me, of how would I feel if me and Eagle were in love with the same girl?" 

          "You told me that it would be really hard for you to give the girl up when she means a lot to you."

          "I am letting you go now Hikaru… The deal between us is off. You can tell them any reason you want. I'm giving up on you."

          "But…"

          "I had been too selfish…too arrogant to even think that I can make you fall for me…I made that deal with you because I want to be with you…I didn't know why, but I want to see you all the time…I want to be close to you…And I kept asking myself…Why? Why do I need to be with you so much…? But it doesn't matter now…You love Eagle…"

          "I do love Eagle…but not the way you think. I am not in love with him"

          Lantis' looked at her with surprise. "What did you say?" 

          "I am not in love with Eagle…"

          "But at the rooftop…" It was then when he saw that she had been crying. Her eyes are red and swollen. "You have been crying…"

          "Eagle comforted me…that was what you saw…You were such in a hurry to leave that we didn't get to explain."

          "Nevertheless…"

          "I was crying because I thought you don't love me…" She started bursting into tears again, and ran towards him.

          "Hikaru-chan…" He opened his arms to her.

          "Daisuki da yo…" 

          "Lantis if you don't say you love her, I'd really take her away from you now…" Eagle said, walking towards them. "You made her cry again…"

          "Mou, daisuki da," Lantis whispered to her ear. He then turned to Eagle, "You have a bad habit of popping out from nowhere Eagle…But thanks a lot."

          "She's still sobbing Lantis…you should make her stop from crying…" Eagle said grinning.

          Lantis looked at Hikaru, put his hand below her chin and slowly, made her face him. He then lowered his face to hers and pressed his lips on hers. She kissed him back as she put her hands around his neck.

          Eagle turned around and walked away thinking, 'It was all worth the heartache…'


	29. Sefiro High Chapter 29

AUTHOR'S NOTE: BUWAHAHAHAHAHA! Nothing…a few more chappies and it's done…Oh by the way, getter warn you with the mild swearing.

*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*

          Alcyone and Emeraude had decided to have lunch at the cafeteria. Emeraude was taking a bite on her sandwich when Alcyone saw the glimmering diamond ring on her finger. Noticing that Alcyone was looking at her ring, she said, "It's beautiful ne?"

          "Uh? Oh, yes…So he finally proposed huh?" Emeraude had confided her that she was dating Zagato a week ago. The news made Alcyone angry, she dared not to show her anger though…she knew it would mess up her plans.

          "Yes…" Emeraude said, smiling. "Last Sunday…"

          "Wow! Congratulations!" Alcyone said, pretending to be very happy. "Don't you think it's quite early? I mean…You just met him what…a few months ago?"

          "Actually, we've known each other for years."

          "Like when? High school?"

          "Like college…We were…quite intimate…"

          'Yes Emeraude…talk to me…' Alcyone said in her mind. "You were lovers…"

          Emeraude blushed and then replied, "Yes."

          "So what happened? I mean, if you were that close, you should have been married by now."

          "Well, his parents had died and left the school to him. We had to wait…"

          "And you got tired of waiting?"

          "Oh no! I was the one who told him we should wait. I love him so much…"

          "Was he too busy…that he had neglected you?"

          "No…nothing of that sort. He made sure that he spent enough time with me…"

          "So why just now?" At that moment, Alcyone saw something clouded the happiness in Emeraude's eyes. 'This might be the moment I've been waiting for…'

          "Well…"

          "You can trust me Emeraude, we're friends right?" 

          Emeraude nodded, took a deep breath and then said, "I left him. I got pregnant. I was scared and so I left. If I told him, I knew he was going to marry me… You see we had talked about the school. He said that he would make it the best in the whole country. His eyes would sparkle with happiness whenever he tells me these things. I didn't want to be the one who would take that dream away from him. I love him so much…"

          'A child! The bitch had a child with him!' At that moment Alcyone wanted to choke her to death, but then… 'He doesn't know about it…Good…I didn't know I was that lucky.' Alcyone can't help but smile. Good thing that Emeraude didn't see it.

          "…I left him and went to Chiba. I told myself that it was better that way. I will raise my child alone. I knew I could never marry anybody else. But I gave birth to a dead child…"

          'A dead child! How fitting! I'm really so lucky…I can't wait to see Zagato's face when he hears about this! Emeraude's dark secret…'

          "Alcyone, please promise me, don't tell anybody about this…"

          "I promise…" Alcyone said, trying to make it sound as sincere as possible. '…This is enough to make Zagato mine…and leave Emeraude…broken. I'll just twist the truth a little bit…'

*                                     *                                     *

          Zagato sat comfortably at his seat, smiling as he remembered Emeraude's answer when he asked him to marry her. Now both of them can be truly happy. His thoughts were interrupted when he heard someone knock on his door. "Come in!" He saw Alcyone enter his office. "What brings you here, Alcyone? Any problems with the current auditing?" 

          "I'm just came to congratulate you…When is the wedding going to be?"

          "Oh that…How did you know?" 

          "Emeraude and I…had became quite close friends…"

          "Yes…I remember her telling me that…" and he didn't like it. He didn't like the idea. Let's just say that he is not very comfortable with her befriending his fiancée. 

          "So she was the reason, wasn't she?"

          His eyes narrowed. He didn't like the way this conversation was heading. He didn't like it one bit. "I have no obligation to explain anything to you Alcyone, but I am going to answer your question. Yes, she's the reason why I couldn't return your feelings."

          "…You'd rather have her back? After she left you? She betrayed you!"

          "She never betrayed me!"

          "And what do you call her abandonment? She was carrying your child when she left! And I bet she never told you that!"

          "How…how did you know all this?"

          "I told you…Emeraude and I became quite close friends…I made sure of that…" she answered with a smirk. 

          "You are mad!"

          "Ah…but there are a lot of things you need to know. Poor child, he should have been what…six…no five years old if he would have been alive? You made her wait too long, so she got tired. She was about to leave you when she found out that she was pregnant. It didn't stop her though…She left and killed your son!"

          "She did not kill my son!"

          Their argument was disrupted with another person knocking on his door. "Who is it?!" Zagato answered in an irritated tone.

          "It's me…" He heard Emeraude say from outside his office. Alcyone smirked as she opened the door. It was too late before he would even stop her. "Oh hi Alcyone…" she greeted her friend with a smile on her face. 

           "Why hello Emeraude, you're just in time! Your fiancée and I having this interesting conversation about your dead son!" At that moment, Emeraude's smile vanished and her face went extremely pale.

          "Alcyone…"

          "Oh sorry sweetie…I did promise not to tell didn't I? Too bad…he already knows…" Alcyone said with her voice oozing with sarcasm. 

"I thought you were my friend…"

"Don't make me laugh!" she answered. "Ask her Zagato! Ask her about your dead baby boy! Tell me how you'd rather choose to be with that woman after her betrayal!" 

To Emeraude, that was the last straw. She ran out of the office before Zagato could even open his mouth. She didn't even look at him. 

"See Zagato? I was telling the truth…She betrayed you…My beloved Zagato…" Alcyone said, moving towards the man in front of her and putting her arms around him. 

"Take your dirty hands off me…" That was his chilly reply and pushed her away. His reaction startled her. When she looked at him, she saw his eyes flash with rage.  "You have done enough."

"But my love…I was just protecting you…"

"You lie. You have planned all of this right from the start. Did you think that I was that irresponsible that I didn't do know about my son?" 

'He knew…' her face paled…

"Zagato, my love…"

"Get yourself out of my sight! I will never forgive you for staining the memory of my son!"

"Zagato…"

"I said get out! You're fired. Leave before I loose any remaining control I have for myself and drag you out of this school! I have never been violent with any woman in my life but I'm beginning to think of making you as an exception."

          His voice was stern and angry. She knew by then that he was serious. With tears on her eyes she left.

*                                              *                                     *

          He said "Thank you" to the young man who told informed him where Emeraude went. Zagato found her crying. He didn't know what to say at first. He just approached her and wrapped his arms around her. 

Emeraude was startled by the sudden warmth she felt when he embraced her. "She told me you killed our child…" 

She faced him, and yet he still didn't let go of her. Instead, he held her tighter. "That's a lie!"

"Shh…I know…I know everything…it was too late when I found out…but I know. I talked to your mother…she told me that I should give you space. I agreed because I was guilty. I thought that I have hurt you for making her wait too long. She never told me where you were. I worked hard instead, thinking that when the right time comes, I will win both of you back, you and my son. 'The future will be secure for the both of them,' I thought…When the school was finally secure, I hired people to find out how you were…that was the time when I found out, about you giving birth to a dead child…about your struggle from depression…You see…I know. I'm sorry for not being there for you when you needed me."

"Iie…it's not your fault…I chose that path. I chose to be alone. I went away because I wanted you to fulfill your dreams for the school. I didn't want to be a burden…" she replied. 

He smiled at her. "You were silly to have thought that you were going to be a burden to me."

"But…"

"Shh…that was the past. Now we must look ahead. You'll still marry me won't you?"

"Oh Zagato…I thought…Yes, I'll still marry you."

*                                              *                                              *

          Ferio found his apartment door open. He frowned, he was sure he had locked it before he went to school. He carefully walked inside. 

          "Nice to see you again, my son," said the man who was sitting on the sofa. He was tall and tanned, about 50 years old. His hair was blond, like Ferio's sister. "What? You wouldn't give your papa a hug?"

          He hugged his father. "What are you doing here?"

          "Why? Don't I have a right to visit my son? Besides, shouldn't I be asking you that? I just left the country to supervise our business expansion and what did I find when I came home? That my son had ran away to Japan!"

          "I'm sorry Father…"

          "It doesn't matter…It must be your rebellious streak in your blood, as I have in mine. But my God! How can you live in such a small place?"

          "I'm alone Papa, I don't need to get a big apartment…"

          "…No cook? No house help?"

          "I can manage Papa."

          "Ha! You could have fooled me…Your refrigerator has nothing else but water, your cupboard has nothing but instant ramen…your pitiful excuse for a house is a mess…and you have a pile of dirty laundry…"

          "I do my laundry every Friday Papa."

          "MY son does his own laundry! You have enough money at your disposal. I made sure that your monthly allowance is sent to you and with that hefty amount you should not be living in this shack! Don't tell me you don't have a car?…I knew it. How do you get to school then?"

          "I walk of course. It's not practical to ride a car to school. There isn't any good parking space…And well, it's hard to get a license." 

"Then get a driver! At least when I ran away to America I didn't live this way…Why don't you live with your sister?"

          "I like it this way Papa…Wait a minute…How did you know I've met my sister already?"

          "Why, I hired someone to find out where you are and how you're doing of course!"

          "I shouldn't have asked…"

          "I haven't see her yet though, so I decided to come over. Oh and I want to meet that girlfriend of yours too…I want to see if she is good enough for you…I would not want some disrespectful tramp in my family."

          "For your information Papa, she is far from disrespectful…"

          "Good! If what you say is right, then your taste in women is not as poor as I thought after all," he said grinning. Ferio sighed. 'He still haven't changed.' "Go shower and change into something more respectable…I bought you some clothes before I came here. I threw away all your old ones, except your school uniform of course. You look like a mess."

          "We've been preparing for the _bunkasai_ Papa. We just finished decorating our classroom."

          "Yes…yes…I hear they make their students do the cleaning here. Oh well, I guess it's a good experience after all. Oh and yes speaking of school…I want to meet that bookworm that your sister is engaged to…I hope the son-of-a-bitch marries her this time."

          "Mr. Sol is not a bookworm Papa, he's the headmaster…"

          "Whatever…now hurry! You know I don't like waiting…I've arranged a nicer place for you to stay, I have called an agency to have a help to come over to do your cleaning and laundry. I've asked for a cook too."

          "Yes Papa."

          "Call that girlfriend of yours and invite her to dinner. Don't tell her that I'm there to meet her. She might just act nice just to impress me." His father grinned again. 

          "Papa!"

          "Well just don't tell her…She might get nervous and tell you she cannot go."

*                                              *                                     *

          The first thought that entered Fuu's mind when Ferio introduced her to his father was that, 'He looks intimidating.' Who would not think the same, if he was staring at them the way he was staring at her? She knew that he was sizing her up, seeing if she is worth being with his precious son. 'I bet his bark is worse than his bite,' Fuu said. She almost laughed when she realized that compared Ferio's father with a dog, but then of course she didn't. She has very strong self-control when it comes to these things. She gave him a smile instead and greeted him with a low bow. "Pleased to meet you Vendeli-sama. Forgive me, but I was really surprised. Ferio-san didn't mention that you are going with us."

          "It was my request…" _Hmm…she is beautiful…and very polite…_

          "More of like an order…" Ferio muttered under his breath. 

          Franco Vendeli heard his son but chose to ignore his remark. "Well then, let's eat?" They then sat and started ordering their food. "So tell me, how did you two meet?"

          "We're classmates Vendeli-sama…"

          "I see, I should have known…I gather my son haven't told you anything about his father?"

          "Only that you are in Italy." 

          _An honest answer._ "Weren't you curious?"

          "Honestly I was, but then I was thinking that there may be things that he wouldn't want to talk about…" 

          _Considerate of my son's feelings…hmm…good._ "I am very impressed that my son had easily adjusted studying in a Japanese institution, and a very good one at that…"

          "Fuu helped me with my studies Papa. She's very smart. She topped the entrance exam for my school see…Anyway, she agreed to become my study partner."

          _Oh and intelligent too…_ "I see…"

          "It's nothing really, I'm glad I can help."

          "I'm surprised that my son's dirty apartment didn't turn you off…" Franco said, smirking.

          "Well, we did our studying in my house, Vendeli-sama. It is not very appropriate for me to enter his apartment, knowing that he lives alone."

          _Ahh…a very respectable girl indeed! _"Yes of course…I wasn't thinking."

          Ferio looked at his father, 'He's smiling now…Yokatta!'

          "…Anyway, it's a good thing you haven't seen his place! It was a wreck I tell you. He had a very comfortable life in Italy you see…And now here he has to do his own laundry!" Fuu notice the disgust in his father's voice…along with much concern for his son. "It's a good thing that there are many restaurants around here, or my son will never get to eat a decent meal."

          "Yes I do understand," Fuu said. "I remember when our whole class had a camping trip. He said he was planning to eat chips for lunch."

          Franco raised his eyebrow at Ferio. "What?!"

          "I was too lazy to make a sandwich! I had to wake up so early! Besides, chips are food anyway!" Franco shook his head in disbelief. "…I ate well Papa, she made lunch for me."

          "Thank God she did!"

          "She usually makes lunch for me Papa."

          _Ahhh…perfect!_ Without much thought he shifted his language into Italian saying to his son, _"I am very pleased with her…"_

_          "Thanks Papa,"_ Ferio replied. 

          _"I expect you to marry her when you're old enough."_

_          "But Papa!"_

_          "I officially declare that you are now engaged with this pretty young woman!"_

_          "Papa!"_

_          "If I didn't have her as a daughter-in-law I will not give you your inheritance…"_

_          "Don't you think it's still early for that?"_ Both men looked at the smiling Fuu with surprise. She just spoke in Italian.


	30. Sefiro High Chapter 30

          The classroom is finally completely decorated, all the students of the class 1-A had to do was to bring in the necessary equipments. "Let me see, we need a 2 big refrigerators, a very big oven, blender, coffee maker…" Fuu said reading out her list. 

          "Don't worry about the big appliances, we'll take care of those…" Franco Vendeli said as he and his son entered their room. "Oh hello Vendeli-sama…"

          "How many times did I tell you that you could call me 'Papa'…you're engaged to my son after all…"

          Fuu blushed, sweatdropped and suddenly got tongue-tied. She had found out that Ferio's father is very much used to having things in his way. Even if she had the gall, this is not the right moment to contradict him and discuss about wedding engagements. Her classmates had been giving her teasing looks though, which made her very uncomfortable…

          "Papa, stop it! You're embarrassing her!" Ferio said. "Sorry guys, he insisted he wanted to go with me so I can show him around and meet my sister."

          "Thank you for your generous offer…" Fuu was able to say.

          "It's really nothing…" Franco told the girl. He then turned to Ferio and then said, "Let us find your sister now shall we? After that you can go and help your classmates." Both father and son left the room.

          "Well at least we wouldn't have to worry about those appliances…" Clef said. "Fuu's father-in-law will take care of that! Awwww----!!! Hey!!!" Umi just gave her boyfriend a sweet smile after giving him a nice, big, jab on his stomach. "My God woman! What are you trying to do? Kill me?"

          "I'm just trying to shut your trap _dear_…"

          "What a nice choice of words!"

          "Shuddup old man!"

          "Make me, sassy!"

          "Old man!"

          "Sassy!"

          "Old man!"

          "Sassy!"

          "Ehem! Can we continue now???" Fuu said, smiling. 

*                                              *                                               *

          Emeraude got the biggest surprise in her life when she opened the door of the faculty room. "Papa!" she exclaimed. And then again when she hugged her father, "Oh Papa…I missed you!"

          "Hey…my, you got your height from your mother…"

          "Papa!" 

          "Hahaha…just kidding…I missed you too…"

          Ferio could not believe what he's seeing, his sister was actually "glad" to see their father! Not that he wanted her to get angry at him, it's just that it was kind of an odd reaction. He hadn't bothered visiting her for years after all. "You…you're not angry at him?"

           "Huh? Why should be angry at Papa?"

          "Well, he hadn't visited you since the divorce right?"

          Laughing out loud, his father said, "Of course I visited her since the divorce! What kind of father did you think I am?"

          "Oh…I thought you were angry at Mama and all, that's why you won't let me visit."

          "I wasn't angry at her. I was very much in love with her! But then of course she couldn't get used to Italy. She wanted us to move to Japan, but I can never leave my country. Somehow it became a big problem… Anyway we ended up having a divorce…But I do visit Emeraude very often…and your mom. See Ferio, I never loved any other woman in my life except for her."

          "Well why didn't you tell me about it then?!"

          Emeraude giggled. "You know how Papa is, Ferio…You're his only son…And Mama told him it would be best if you stay in Italy and not visit her."

"Ah, but this rebel boy of mine decided to leave Italy and run away to Japan. Oh well, he is old enough I suppose…As long as he comes back there when he gets married…I don't mind. Well then Ferio, you can leave both of us now. You go run and help those classmates of yours."

With a sigh, Ferio said, "Yes, Papa…" And then left.

Noticing the diamond ring on his daughter's hand, Franco said, "So the jerk finally asked you to marry him eh?"

"Papa! Zagato is not a jerk!"

"Whatever, I want to meet him."

"Maybe later? We'll have dinner together…"

          "I want to meet him _now_…"

          "You still haven't changed father…Very well…I don't think he's not that busy today anyway." His daughter took his hand and led him towards Zagato's office. After she knocked at the door, they heard someone say 'Come in' from inside the room, and then they entered. 

          Recognizing the resemblance of his fiancée to the man beside her made Zagato realize that he was actually in front of Emeraude's father. "I wasn't expecting to meet you today, Mr. Vendeli. My name is Zagato Sol," introducing himself and extending his hand for a handshake. He was not expecting the sudden punch Franco gave him on his face, however, which had really shocked him.

          "Papa!" Emeraude exclaimed. 

          "That was for making my daughter wait too long…I just had to do it." What Franco did and said after that made Zagato more surprised. The older man actually gave Zagato a quick yet warm embrace and told him, "I am welcoming you to my family. From now on, you are my son…Don't worry…I won't hit you again. I don't think you'll be hurting my daughter in the future."

          Zagato sighed in relief. That didn't stop him from thinking of how weird his father-in-law is though. 

*                                              *                                               *

          Lantis smiled sweetly at the lovely red-haired girl beside him. She smiled back at him and then leaned on his shoulder. They just sat there for a while, not saying anything. No exchange of words was necessary between them, both were contented with just the idea of them being with each other.  At that time nothing else mattered… 

"LANTIS-SAMAAAAAAA!!!!" That is until a familiar voice was heard from a not-so-distant location, disturbing the young couple's solitude. 

"Goddammit!!!" he muttered the blasphemy under his breath. It was too late for Lantis to escape as usual, for he's already caught in a death-grip by, of course, Primera. He closed his eyes for a while, at the same time asking the Maker to give him more patience…When he finally opened his eyes, he saw Primera glaring at Hikaru, her grip tightening on his arm that it almost hurts. He looked at Hikaru and raised his eyebrows when he saw her looking very much amused, not being threatened at all. "Get your hands off me…"

Hikaru couldn't help but giggle at Lantis' irritated expression. She ceased giggling when Primera shot her a scarier glare though, not because she was scared but because she didn't want to offend the blue-haired girl in front of her. She kept the amused look in her eyes though. "You!" Primera said pointing at Hikaru. "Hikaru Shidou…I challenge you to a pie eating contest!" That was enough to make both Lantis and Hikaru face-fault. Both took all their will not to burst out laughing. "The winner of the contest will be the one to have Lantis' heart!"

"I've already chosen Hikaru…"

"If Hikaru wins, I won't bother you anymore…" Primera said. 

"I'll do it!" Hikaru said. "I accept your challenge, Primera-chan!"

"You don't have to do that!"

"She said if I win she wont bother you anymore and that's what you want right, my love?"

"So it is settled! A pie-eating contest on the first day of _bunkasai_! BUWA-HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!" And with that Primera left.

*                                              *                                               *

          Hikaru gave Lantis a quick peck on the cheek before she got out of the car. "Thank you for helping our class with the grocery shopping."

          "It's nothing really. I'm glad I can help."

          Lantis and Eagle actually accompanied Hikaru, Umi, Ascot and Clef to the grocer's to by the ingredients and other items needed for the café they are going to have for the _bunkasai_.

          "See you tomorrow, Lantis-kun."

          "See you, my love."

          She took a deep breath and entered the door. "Tadaima!" 

          "Okaeri nasai!" her brothers said, almost at the same time. She found herself being hugged by the three of them all of a sudden. "I heard you're having a café right? Kakeru told us…" Masaru asked. 

          "Yes…"

          "Can we get free snacks???" Kakeru said.

          "Oi! You two stop that…" Satoru scolded the two. "We don't mind if you give us free snacks though."

          "'Kaa-san said that she won't be able to come…" Kakeru said.

          "Aww, that's too bad. Oh before I forget, where's that money for the tickets I told you to sell Maseru?"

          Masaru scratched his head and then took a folded envelope out from his side pocket. "Here…"

"Oh, Masaru, Eagle-sempai told me to give you these…" Hikaru said, giving him tickets to Eagle's coming race.

"Wow! This is cool! He's a senior at your school right? And the vice captain of your club too." Hikaru nodded. "That's really nice…Oh by the way, speaking of seniors, we wanna know those seniors that's been courting you."

          "Whattt???"

          "Yeah…we wanna know so we can kick ass!"

          "Masaru, no harsh language in front of your sister," Satoru said.  "But if you really know them, let us know ok? In that way, we can teach those bastards a lesson." Kakeru sweatdropped, Hikaru went pale…This is not going to be good.

          Kakeru whispered to his sister, "We're going to be in deep trouble sis." 


	31. Sefiro High Chapter 31

            There's one thing could describe class 1-A's temporary kitchen: a big mess. Flour is scattered almost everywhere, and can even be found on the heads of the ones in charge in baking the items that are to be set on the menu. It seems like wearing aprons didn't help them much, since it looked like they had just bathed on a pool filled with flour. Despite of the mess their kitchen is going through, it never did affect the taste of the freshly baked delicacies they're making, Umi made sure of that.

          "Remind…me…why…I'm doing…this…again…" Clef told his friend beside him, while kneading the dough on his hands in what looks like a very violent manner.

          "Whoa…easy with that dough my friend, we wouldn't want that to turn into a rock…Anyway, you're doing that because Umi asked you to and you just couldn't say no to her," Ascot answered him with a taunting smile. "I think you should let that rest now." 

          Clef let out a groan out of exasperation, put the dough on a plastic wrap and put it on the ref next to him. "You know what? I've never tasted anything that Umi had baked."

          "She gave you lunch lots of times right?"

          "I know, but that's different."

          "Clef-kun, finished with the dough?" Umi asked, hugging her boyfriend from behind. "Can you give me a litttleeee favor?"

          He rolled his eyes and then said, "What now?"

          "I wonder if you could help me decorate the cake I made? I just need to put the finishing touches and well have it sliced and displayed and all…"

          "Why don't you just spread the icing on it and leave it like that? It's gonna be sliced and eaten anyway…"

          "Presentation is always important Clef-kun…Pleaaassseee?" she told him with a fake pout.

          "Better go with her now Clef, I'm beginning to get jealous," Ascot told him with a grin. Clef raised his eyebrow and then went with his girlfriend knowing that what his friend said was half-true.

          The couple bumped into Fuu, who asked, "I've been looking for you! Are the pies for the contest ready?"         

"Yes Fuu-chan." 

Fuu let out a sigh. "Good, we'll start in a few minutes more."

When Primera told them her crazy idea of a pie-eating contest, they hesitated, but the genius in Fuu decided to use it as an opportunity to bring people in their café. The rumor about the challenge that Primera had openly declared to Hikaru, had made it more interesting for the students in Sefiro High. It seemed that Fuu's plan had worked though, since they could see people are beginning to flock inside, waiting for the said contest to take place and ordering breakfast. The money they had spent for such an event looks like to have already been paid for by the students sitting comfortably, waiting for the much-awaited contest to start.

"You do seem quite tensed, Fuu-chan."

"I have a weird feeling Umi-san. I'm sure Primera-san is planning something…"

*                                              *                                               *

          No matter how ridiculous the contest may sound to him, Lantis was looking forward to it. It is not because of the same reasons the other students have, but because it's his Hikaru who was joining and anything that concerns his little red-haired princess is worth his attention. Knowing Hikaru's appetite quite well, Lantis had no doubt that she will win. 

          Eagle was of course, with him too. The silver-haired senior wouldn't want to pass this event, at the same time, pass a nice cup of cappuccino and several pieces of freshly baked croissants and doughnuts that he had ordered.  Sometimes it makes Lantis wonder where his friend put the food he eats. At least with Hikaru, he knows that every bit of sugar, cholesterol and whatnots she consumes are efficiently burned. Her ever-genki attitude is enough proof for that. 

          He let out a yawn. Lantis never did like waiting. He glared at his friend beside him who was noisily munching on a piece of sugarcoated doughnut. "Can you please eat without making too much noise???" 

          "You should eat something, Lantis. Try some of these…the coffee is making you too nervous," Eagle answered him, smiling.

          Lantis gave a loud, "Hmph" instead, and sipped his black coffee. It tasted too bitter for him. What the…No black coffee is supposed to be too bitter for Lantis Sol. He figured it might need a little bit of sugar. Sugar! Lantis Sol never needed sugar for his coffee! It must be the result of his frequent visits to some sweets, and ice cream shops with Hikaru. Not to mention those cafés that serves a wide range of desserts. And it all started when Hikaru gave him that strawberry flavored candy…He then remembered that he never drank black coffee since then. 

          "LANTIS-SAAAAMMAAAAAAAAA!!!!!" Lantis let out an 'Ooof!' as soon as Primera's arms embraced him. "I'm soooooo glad that you're here to watch the contest!"

          "I'm here to watch Hikaru."

          Primera ignored his reply, hugging him very tight. "Awwww, I'm going to win Lantis-sama! You and me are going to be together forever and ever!" Lantis didn't bother to reply, he knew she is not going to listen. Besides, her death-grip is making him difficult to breathe, much more talk. "Anyway, I just figured I should see you before the contest! See you later Lantis-sama!!!" And with that, she left, her evil laugh along with her. 

          Lantis caught Eagle grinning at him while having a very amused twinkle in his eyes. "Wipe that grin of your face Eagle, you're looking ridiculous." His friend laughed at him instead. Lantis frowned. Eagle laughed louder. "Shuttup or I'm going to kill you." Eagle then clamped his mouth shut. Lantis smirked. 

*                                              *                                               *

          "Hikaru-chan…" Primera said, as she approached her rival. Holding two glasses of water on her hands.

          "Primera-chan…"

          "You look quite nervous…"

          "Yeah…"

          "Me too…Here, have some water. You must be thirsty…"

          "Thank you, Primera-chan." 

          Primera smiled sweetly at the girl beside her. She put enough stuff in the water to make Hikaru feel uncomfortable enough to make Primera win. She wouldn't really want Hikaru rushing to the bathroom…Besides, the effects would wear off in maybe 30 minutes… 'Now I'm sure of my victory!'

*                                              *                                               *

          "Ahem…ahem…Ohayo gozaimasu, minna-san! We are going to start the much-awaited pie eating contest between Hikaru Shidou and Primera Faerie," Ferio said as he stood on the front, holding a microphone on his hands. The crowd cheered upon hearing it. "Our first contestant, Primera Faerie!" Primera waved at the crowd and sat on her appointed seat. "Our second contestant, Hikaru Shidou! Who will be the one to win Lantis Sol's heart?" 

          "Goddammit! Why did he have to include that statement?" Lantis shifted on his seat out of uneasiness. Even though he was sure that Hikaru would win, he had this weird feeling that something might go wrong. He looked at his nervous girlfriend as she sat down. He gave her a reassuring smile when he met her gaze. She nodded at him.

          "Each contestant would have to eat all the 30 whole pies as fast as they can. The one who eats all the pies in a shorter amount of time wins. Are you both ready?" The two girls nodded. "Okay, ready…get set…go!"

          The first 10 pies, was easy. Hikaru hasn't eaten dinner last night and she didn't eat breakfast this morning. She has enough room in her stomach for 20 more. On her 25th pie she felt something odd. Her stomach started to hurt. It made her stop eating.

          When Hikaru put down her fork, Lantis knew that there was something wrong. He chose to remain in his seat and observe for just a while. He watched as his girlfriend wiped her sweaty forehead. When he saw that she's beginning to get pale he run towards the stage and then told Fuu, "Stop the contest."

          "But Lantis-sempai…"

          "Something is wrong…" he told her. He didn't wait Fuu's reply but ran to Hikaru's side. "Hikaru-chan…"

          "Go back to your seat Lantis…It's just that my stomach hurts a bit," she said. "I can manage…" 

          "No you can't…"

          "Yes I can…besides, lots of people are watching…" He knew by then that she would not listen to him until the contest is over. He hates it when Hikaru gets really stubborn.

          "Hey what's goin on!!!" someone from the crowd shouted. It made the rest of the people watching quite restless and made Lantis really pissed off.

          "You want your damn show, I'm gonna give you your damn show!" Lantis shouted at the people in front of him. "Gimme that!" he told Hikaru, snatching the fork from her fingers and started eating the pie in front of her. 

          The crowd sat frozen on their seats as they watched the great Lantis Kyle Sol finish 5 whole pies all by himself in record time. Even Primera stopped eating, her mouth wide open as she watched the young man beside her, known to be as a man who hated sweet stuff with passion, gobble up the pies before him without even flinching. 

          After the last bite, he said, "Thirty pies, done. We win. Crowd happy. Contest finished." He then stood up and carried Hikaru out of the room and to the school clinic. This time, Primera finally acknowledged her defeat.

*                                              *                                               *

        "I still can't believe you did that," Hikaru told Lantis who was walking with her towards the only cherry-blossom tree in their school. "And to think you didn't like sweet things…"

          "Well, actually, I don't really hate sweet stuff anymore…"

          "Oh?"

          "I'm beginning to have a sweet tooth…I must have gotten it from you…"

          "You make it sound like a sickness Lantis-kun."

          "Not really…"

          "That was quite a show back there…"

          "I had to do it, you were too stubborn." They were standing face to face now, both lost in each other's eyes. Lantis leaned over, his lips touching hers. 

          "BAKERO!!! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING TO MY SISTER?!" They heard someone shout behind them. 

          Hikaru pulled herself away from the kiss as soon as she recognized whose voice it was. "Masaru-nii-chan!!!" she exclaimed. "A-anou…e-etooo…" She then hurriedly positioned herself in front of Lantis, getting ready to defend him if necessary.

          Lantis stared at the former-kendo captain who was also Hikaru's brother. He watched as Kakeru pull Masaru backwards, trying to stop his brother from getting violent on Lantis. Lantis gently pushed Hikaru towards his back though, telling her with his eyes that he can take care of himself. "TEMEEEE…"

          Noticing his sister's actions, Satoru decided to calm his furious little brother instead. "Stop it Masaru!" Satoru said, at the same time hitting the top of his brother's head. 

          "ITAI YO!" Masaru wailed. "WHAT'D YOU DO THAT FOR!"

          "You're too loud. Baka."

          "HE WAS KISSING HIKARU FOR GOD'S SAKE!"

          "Urusai!" Satoru told Masaru. "Hikaru…"

          "Yes, 'Nii-sama…"

          "Tell me what's going on…"

          Much to their surprise, Lantis stepped forward, gave a low bow before the three and said, "I apologize for all this trouble. I am Lantis Kyle Sol. It is all my fault. I am ready to take any punishment you would like to give to me."

          Satoru raised his eyebrow as he looked that the young man, who was obviously his sister's boyfriend, before him. "Do you know anything about this Kakeru?"

          "Yes, 'Nii-sama…"

          "For how long has this been going on?"

          "For a few months now…" A few months and Kakeru haven't told him! Satoru looked at his sister as she run towards the young man and hold his hand. 

          "Very well, you can relax now…" Satoru said. It was only then that Lantis stood straight from his low bow. 

          "WHAT THE HELL…"

          "I will not tolerate that kind of tone in front of me Masaru!" He then turned to Lantis. "You are my sister's boyfriend, I presume?" Lantis nodded. "You must know that all of us three had decided long ago, that we had to test anybody who dare try to have a relationship with our sister."

          "I understand."

          "Kakeru had always been good in assessing a person's inner quality. The fact that he approved of you would only mean that you have good character, which matches to Hikaru's giving and innocent personality. But that is not the only characteristic that we expect from the man who would own Hikaru's heart…"

 "You will have to defeat with one of us…" Kakeru explained.

 "And since Masaru here had been itching to have a fight with you, he will have his fight. If you win against him, then we accept you, if you do not, you would have to train more until you can defeat one of us. I would prefer if we have the duel as soon as possible."

          "That can be arranged…" Lantis said.

          "Very well…"

          "School gym, after lunch," Lantis told them. "Hikaru, I suggest you go with your brothers for now. I will have to prepare for the duel." Hikaru nodded. She watched as Lantis turned around and walked away. 


	32. Sefiro High Chapter 32 LAST CHAPTER

            Lantis took a deep breath before knocking on his brother's office. He tapped the door thrice and then waited for his brother's acknowledgement. "Come in…" he heard his brother's voice from his office. "Well? Shouldn't you be assisting your classmates for your class event?"

          "I have done what I was assigned to do."

          "So what brings my brother here?"

          "The Shidou brothers had challenged me for a duel."

          "And…?"

          "And so I would like to ask permission to use the gym after lunch. I wouldn't want you scolding me about it when you find out."

          "…It's about your relationship with their sister is it not?"

          "They wanted to… 'test' me…"

          Zagato laughed out loud. "My, my brother…and I had never thought you'd go into such trouble just because of a girl."

          "She's not 'just a girl'."

          "I figured that…Do what you need to do. You own this school too anyway. Besides, it would really be…a very interesting event." 

          Lantis then turned around and walked away. "Ja…"

          "Oh and Lantis…"

          "Hmm?"

          "You'd better pass this…uh…test…"

          "Aa… Ja…"

          Zagato smirked as he watched his brother walk out of the room. It's a wonder how this girl had made a difference in his brother's life. 'I think it's time that I meet her…' 

He looked at the clock hanging on the wall in front of him. He stood up and walked out of the office. He has so much time at his disposal that it's really boring for him…that is, until his brother gave him an idea. 'I'll have lunch with Emeraude first.' 

*                                              *                                              *

          Eagle stared at his friend as they walked towards the gym. Like a very confident general in a coming battle, there was no trace of nervousness on his friend's face. He knew Lantis had always been calm in situations quite similar to this; too calm in fact that it's almost intimidating. "So do you think you can beat him?"

          Lantis looked at him as if he'd heard a very silly question. Well, actually, it was silly, and besides, Eagle knew the answer already. Lantis answered him nevertheless, for the sake of conversation, "I'll beat him." It was a statement uttered in full confidence, a statement that if someone, who didn't know Lantis Kyle Sol very well, overheard, it could be considered to be very boastful. The thing is that, Lantis never boast. If he says he is going to defeat someone he will defeat him, even if it's the devil himself. 

          "So ne? Why did I ever ask?" He laughed softly at himself. "You were looking forward of having the eldest of the Shidou brothers as an opponent weren't you?"

          Lantis nodded. "He would be a very good opponent."

          "Well, well Lantis, I say, you're rather bored of the idea that it's Masaru Shidou you're dueling with…"

          "I didn't say that…"

          "Well, you don't have to…he knows you very well," someone said behind them. Both of them turned around and saw Zagato and Emeraude. "We came to watch your duel, brother…and give you moral support," Zagato said with a sneer.

          "Chh…whatever…"

*                                              *                                              *

          Primera watched as Hikaru lead her brothers in their classroom and towards a vacant table. She bit her lips nervously; she knew she had to talk to her now. She started walking towards Hikaru. "A-anou…can I talk to you for a moment? Please?" The sincere, friendly smile Hikaru gave her surprised Primera. 'How could she even smile at me like that after all that I had done?' 

          "Why of course Primera-chan…Excuse me onii-sama…" Hikaru then took Primera's hand and then lead her towards a more private side of the café. "Yes Primera-chan?"

          "Well….a-anou…I just…I just want to say sorry for all the things I've said and done…"

          Hikaru shook her head and smiled, "Don't worry. It's okay."

          "I mean, he saved my life you know…When I was in elementary? And well, I liked him a lot from that moment. Since then I was like his biggest fan, always following him around and things like that. See he's really nice…even if he didn't look like it, and I saw in his eyes, that he's lonely. I thought, that I can make him happy…And then you came along…From the day he met you he started smiling. I was angry at you because, I never made him smile."

          "…Primera…"

          "He detest sweet things you know…"

          "Yes I know…"

          "…But he ate those pies…"

          "Yes he did…" _and the strawberry flavored candies…and the ice creams…and the cakes…_

          "It must mean that he really loves you a lot…"

          "Yes…he does…"

          "Can we be friends Hikaru-chan? As in, real friends."

          "Sure Pri-chan…"

          "Pri-chan…I like that…" Both girls giggled. "Seriously Hikaru-chan, Lantis-sama would do anything for you…" 

          Hikaru sighed. "Yes he would…" 

          Primera noticed Hikaru suddenly looked sad. "You don't like that he would?"

          "No…no…I do like it…Demo…See my brothers…they challenged him to a duel…"

          "NANI!!!"

          "Shhh…"

          "Oh sorry…What happened?"

          "Well just they found out that Lantis and I were a couple so…"

          "So…"

          "Well they wanted to know if Lantis is uhm…worthy…to be my boyfriend…"

          "You mean he's gonna have to fight all of them?"

          "No, just Masaru, my 2nd eldest brother."

          "When? Where?"

          "After lunch, at the gym…"

          "Uh-oh…It looks like they're heading there right now…"

          Hikaru quickly stood up and then said, "I gotta go Pri-chan…" She then ran towards her brothers as they headed towards the gym. Primera then rushed to the kitchen to tell Hikaru's friends what's going on…

          "What did you tell her now Primera?" Umi said, thinking that Primera did something to make Hikaru worried. 

          "No…it's not me…Promise! Look…we're okay now."

          "Why did she look so worried then, after talking to you?"

          "See, that's why I'm here. Hikaru's brothers challenged Lantis-sama for a duel at the gym. He's going to fight with Masaru Shidou now!"

          "Fight Masaru Shidou? Are you into your tricks again Primera?" 

          "No I promise! I'm telling the truth!"

          "Oh my God! So that's why Hikaru-chan looked so worried!"

          "What is it all about Umi-chan?" Fuu asked them.

          "Masaru Shidou and Lantis Sol are going to have a duel at the gym now!  
          "Oh dear…"

          "A DUEL BETWEEN MASARU SHIDOU AND LANTIS SOL AT THE GYM NOW?!" Zazu exclaimed as he overheard the girls' conversation. Unfortunately, the whole café heard him, and their customers started rushing out of the room. 

          "I bet the whole school is heading over there …"

          "Rumors do spread fast around here…"

          Looking at their suddenly empty café, Fuu said, "Well then I guess we won't have any customers until they're finished." The rest agreed. "We'd better hurry ourselves…Lock the doors and all, we're going to the gym…"

*                                              *                                              *

          Lantis looked around him and scowled. "What the hell are all of them doing here?" 

          "What do you think? They came to watch of course!" Eagle answered him with a smile.

          "What do they think of this? A carnival show?" 

          "Maa…maa…take it easy. Forget about them, just think about the duel." Eagle then took the padding beside him (which looks like a leather breast plate) and helped Lantis wear it. He saw Hikaru ran beside him. Looking into her eyes, he saw her worry and distress. "Don't worry my love I'll be all right."

          "You should be," the girl told him. He nodded and walked to the center of the gym where Masaru is already waiting. 

His brother had asked Lafarga-sensei to be the judge of the match. It was a practical decision since the teacher didn't have any bias and since the fight is a very serious one for all of the parties concerned, it has to be a clean one.

Lantis took a deep breath and looked at his opponent. The truth was the he had expected all this to happen, but he thought it was Satoru Shidou that he was going to have a match with. Nevertheless…

The duel started at last; the gym that was very noisy a while ago became really quiet. All of the people watching there knew that concentration is very much important. Still the two main players did not break their initial pose – standing there face to face with distance far enough from each other, feet apart and both hands on their wooden swords…Both of them waiting for each other to make the first attack. 

Lantis barely saw Masaru lift his left foot off the floor to attack him and yet he did. He managed to get away though, avoiding a strong hit on his stomach. A 2nd blow followed right away, which is much difficult to avoid. Lantis' quick reflexes' made him jump backwards though and out of the way. 'What is he doing?' Hikaru asked herself. 'Why isn't he attacking?'

"You'd be just wasting your energy trying to dodge my attacks Sol-kun…" Masaru told him. Lantis did not reply. He instead blocked Masaru's latest attack using his sword. 

'This is not how my brother fights!' Zagato thought. 'His moves are too sloppy. He barely even get to dodge Shidou's attacks!'

'Something isn't quite right…' Hikaru said to herself.

Satoru got lost in his own thoughts while watching the duel. 'It looks like my brother is doing very well…But why is it that I feel something isn't going as it is supposed to be?…Could it be…that…'

Blocking Masaru's sword again from his kneeling position, Lantis had to twirl his own body so that he would not end up lying defenseless if Masaru managed to put more force on his sword. "What's the matter Sol-kun? Tell me, are you really that weak?"

Satoru looked at Lantis… 'Masaru is very determined. And this Lantis Sol, should attack him before it's too late…' He watched as Masaru got ready for his next offensive move. 'Is…he going to finish it now…?'

Indeed Masaru was getting impatient, and he wanted to finish the duel once and for all. His next attack would be quite difficult to dodge, since it is a quick combination of several kendo attacks, which his father had taught them. 

Lantis almost didn't get to dodge the first move, and dodging the following swipes are getting more and more difficult. 'What? An attack from all directions?' Masaru was swift; he'd give him that. Swift…but very impatient. For every dodge, Lantis studies his opponent's technique, reading every move, every swipe, and every step. 

Lantis smirked, that is until he felt a pain on his shoulder. Now he didn't felt that coming. He'll just have to attack now then. Satoru by then recognize the change in Lantis' posture… 'MASAKA! He…he was…!'

"Ne, 'nii-sama. Lantis-kun…he was protecting Masaru's honor earlier…wasn't he? He was protecting brother's pride." Kakeru told his older brother. Satoru nodded. 

Hikaru's eyes widened. 'Masaru-nii-chan! Lantis-kun…'

Masaru striked again, only to meet Lantis' sword, blocking his attack. Zagato saw his brother's moves get more forceful and yet more refined. Every single detail of Lantis movement is now close to being perfect which is a big difference from what was mere sloppy dodging. Gradually, Lantis is changing places with Masaru, for he is now at attacking the older man. What actually surprised Masaru was that Lantis was able to duplicate his sword technique earlier and use it against him. "So that was it…" Zagato mumbled.

"What, darling?" Emeraude asked.

"My brother was suppressing his strength…He didn't want to end the duel too soon since it will humiliate his opponent."

Masaru wasn't able to dodge Lantis' attacks. 'He's too fast…like…lightning… And to think he's using my sword technique that he had just seen a while ago.' He didn't even feel Lantis' sword hit his shoulderblades, his knees, and then both of his hands…Masaru Shidou just found himself kneeling on the newly-polished gym floor, unable to move, his sword far away from him and Lantis pointing his sword at his face. Masaru then acknowledged his defeat.

Lantis knew that if he hit Masaru too hard it would have broken his bones, so he just delivered the technique using light and controlled blows…just enough to make Masaru's shoulders feel heavy…enough to make his knees temporarily weak and just enough to knock his sword away from him. 'I wouldn't want Hikaru to get worried too much if I had hurt her brother…'

At last it's all over…He had proved that he could fight for his princess if needed. 

*                                              *                                              *

          An hour had passed since the duel. Lantis, Eagle, Hikaru and the Shidou brothers sat together in the Class 1-A's café. "I really admire your courage Lantis-kun," the eldest of the Shidou brothers said. "…and your exceptional skills…"_ and your thoughtfulness for my brother's pride and honor._

          "You may have defeated me…but that doesn't mean I approve of you for my sister!" Masaru told Lantis as-a-matter-of-factly. "You still have to exchange diary's with me!" The rest of the gang sweat-dropped.

          "H-hai…" Lantis managed to say. 'Baka.'

          "Mou, Masaru-kun… You shouldn't be too hard on Lantis-kun…" Eagle said. "Besides, your sister do love Lantis-kun dearly…"

          "Why didn't my sister fell in love with you?" Masaru said, almost whining.

          Both Hikaru and Eagle blushed. Lantis couldn't help but glare at Hikaru's brother. 

          "You got problem with what I said, brat?" Masaru told Lantis. 

          "Urusai!" Satoru said at the same time hitting his brother's head and then turned to Lantis. "You have proven yourself to us."

          "…Still that does not mean you can marry her yet!" Masaru butted in.

          "Baka," Lantis muttered under his breath.

          "What did you say brat?"

          "Nothing." 

~*~~~~~~~~~~*~

OWARI

~*~~~~~~~~~~*~

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Yey! The last chappie! Hmm…thanks fer all the ppl who read me story. Thanks for the support and reviews. And well…I hope you liked it. Ja ne!


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